Act Like A Boy
by Joker-Girl-Kelly
Summary: "You know, give your should-be-husband-already a taste of his own medicine." "And just how am Ah supposed to do that?"... "Let out your own inner Wolverine, grrr." Rogue just wants Logan to know how she feels, but how far is too far? Logan/Rogue obviously, cure didn't work. Focuses a lot on Rogue. Not used to writing these characters, may be OOC.
1. He's Gone

_**Have far too much time on my hands at this point, and I needed to take a break from all the other stuff I'm writing. This is the result. Will be two-shot, maybe a three parter, but no more than that. **_

_**I love Rogue and Logan together, so I don't usually like him as the bad guy, but I also love a darker/wilder Rogue, so I just had to do this.**_

* * *

"He's gone, Rogue." Ororo looked sympathetic. "He promised he'd be back, just as he always does."

Rogue's expression remained blank; she wasn't sure what to feel.

"He left you a gift this time." Ororo held out the little black box. "It looks expensive. Not that I think that's any reason to forgive him."

Rogue took the box, stared at it with that same blank expression, opened it, careless in her movements. Ororo continued talking, ranting about men in general and Logan in particular, and how someone should teach him a lesson somehow, but Rogue was tuned out, not thinking.

Inside the little box, now sparkling in the light of the sun streaming in through the window, laid the beautiful diamond ring he'd promised her when she'd said that yes, she would marry him.

That had been months ago, the day after she'd turned twenty six. The same night he'd come in with the faint smell of another woman's perfume on him. She'd noticed, and he'd panicked; he always forgot that she had some of his senses, so of course she'd noticed.

"_It's nothing, darlin, really. Some barfly bumps into me with enough perfume on, it rubs off, and you got my senses..."_

"_Yeah, sure Logan."_

"_Hey, comere." He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closer, kissing her, and she tried to push him away. _

"_Don't, it's alrahght, Ah'm just tahred. I'm goin to bed." Her southern accent got a little thicker as she started to get upset._

_She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm, pulled her back._

"_Don't be like that, please. You know, I've been thinking... How long's it been now? Three years."_

_She turned to him, wary, not wanting to get her hopes up._

"_What are yah talkin about?"_

"_I'm talking about, you know, that happily ever after you been talking about." He pulled her to him again, looking into her eyes. "I'm asking you to marry me, Marie."_

_She stared into his hazel eyes, looking for even the slightest hint that he was lying. She found none, not immediately._

"_Yes. Yes, Logan, Ah'd love nothin more…" She kissed him this time, long and hard._

"_I don't have a ring yet, but I'm gonna get you one. A pretty diamond for my pretty girl."_

"Rogue? Are you alright?" Ororo's voice became loud and clear again. Rogue looked up at her, a single tear sliding down her pale cheek.

She should've known something was up.

She brought a hand up to wipe it away, staring at her wet finger for a moment.

"Yeah. Yeah, Ah'll be fine." Rogue forced a smile. "Ain't like he hasn't done this before." She took the ring out of the box, slipped it onto her finger. "Look how pretty that is. Think Ah can live with his little disappearances if this is what Ah get as an apology. Yah know, diamonds are a girl's best friend."

Storm didn't respond, just watched her, looking worried.

"Ah have an English class that should've started already, Ah'd better go."

"Alright." Ororo nodded. "Just know that I'm here if you want to talk."

Rogue nodded as she got up and left.

* * *

Rumours had a tendency to spread like wildfires at the mansion. Most of the time what was said was only half true, if it was true at all, and this time was no exception. Before the day was over Rogue had heard at least six different very untrue stories about herself and Logan, all of them revolving around the fact that he had left again, really left, for the first time in what had to be a year.

"I heard they had a big fight…"

"I heard she caught him with another woman…"

"I heard she threatened to kill the other woman…"

"I heard HE caught HER with someone else…"

"I heard he stayed out all night drinking…"

"I heard she just tried talking about a wedding, you know, I guess he'd been avoiding it for a while and…."

"Enough!" She let out a growl to match the Wolverine's, and the hushed conversations that had been circling around her last hour class stopped abruptly. "Ah don't want to hear another word, not one word, about Logan, yah hear? Not. One. Word. Yah can tell that to all of your friends too. Class dissmissed."

They grabbed their things and shuffled out, looking frightened, and Rogue was grateful for the silence that fell in the room when they did.

Finally, some peace and…

"Roguey!"

Rogue winced.

"Hey Jubes."

"Is it true? Is he really gone again?"

"Yeah, he's really gone again."

"What about…"

Rogue held out her hand, the one with the ring on it, and Jubilee's eyes widened.

"It's so pretty! I don't even want to think about how much that cost!"

"Probably more than he could afford, guess he really wanted to make sure I wasn't mad at him."

"Well of course he did, because he knows he wouldn't know what to do without you. Come on." She grabbed Rogue's hand. "You come to my room and we'll watch a movie, something with lots of hot guys in it."

Rogue followed, if a bit reluctantly.

"Oops, guess I left the radio on…"

For some reason the lyrics caught Rogue's attention.

"Wait, Jubes, don't turn it off! What song is this?"

Jubilee paused for a moment, listening.

"I think it's by Ciara. Like A Boy."

"Never heard it before. Kind of like it."

"Sounds like something you could sing right to Logan."

"The funny thing is that Storm was talkin this mornin about teachin Logan a lesson, like givin him a taste of his own medicine or somethin. Anyways, you can turn the radio off now." Another song had started playing. "Come on, let's pick out that movie you were talkin about…"

They picked out Pirates of the Caribbean, because according to Jubilee 'you just couldn't get any hotter than Johnny Depp in dread locks'.

It wasn't until after the movie had ended and Rogue was about to pop in the next one, now feeling like she wouldn't mind hiding away from the rest of the world with Jubilee, that her best friend decided to comment on what Rogue had said before.

"You should do it."

Rogue turned to her, her face one big question mark.

"Do what?"

"You know, give your should-be-husband-already a taste of his own medicine."

"And just how am Ah supposed to do that?"

"You still have him in your head, don't you?"

He'd offered to help her practice with her skin until she'd learned to control it, and as a result she'd absorbed him a few times to many. It hadn't helped that it had taken forever; she'd only just managed to gain full control, though she'd been able to touch some for a while.

"Well, yeah, unfortunately."

"No, that's perfect though! You'd know better than any other girl around here how to act like a boy! Let out your own inner Wolverine, grrr." Jubilee made a clawing motion with her hand.

Rogue just stared at her for a moment, thinking through what she'd just said. It was true, she had a guy in her head; no one knew better than her what they thought like. What harm could it do to let her own wild side take over, just for a little while?

"That..could actually work." She replied, sounding as surprised by the realization as she felt.

"See! Ok, come on, we should start thinking this through, I'm serious. Besides leaving in the middle of the night, what is it that Logan does that drives you crazy?"

"Well, he likes to go out to bars…"

"Come one, keep going."

"He likes to go out without me, which Ah asked him not after the night he came back smelling like perfume. I see him flirting with other girls. You know, in his own way. And it seems like I'm never the most important thing to him. There's always something else for him to be doing… You know, I think I know exactly how I'm going to pull this off."

They stayed up well into the night, alternating between watching more movies and coming up with a solid plan for what Rogue was going to do about Logan.

* * *

Three long months passed before Logan finally called Rogue with more than just the usual 'I love you'; he was coming back. She pushed him for an exact date, and he finally gave her a day. Rogue was excited, not just at the promise of seeing him again, but at the prospect of finally getting to put the plan into action.

She was going to need more than just Jubilee's cooperation for this, though.

"Hey, Ms. Munroe?"

"You know Rogue, you're plenty old enough now to call me Ororo."

"Sorry, Ah don't know if Ah'll ever get used to that." She chuckeld before trying again. "Ororo?"

"Yes?"

"Logan's coming back, you know."

"Yes, I know." The white haired woman gave her a more tentative look when she didn't' respond immediately. "Rogue, what is it?"

"Well, see, me and Jubilee had this idea for how Ah could get back at him and Ah thought it'd be a good idea to let you know what was goin on so you don't get worried. Maybe you can help, too…" She went on, explaining her plan in perfect detail.

"You know I'm all for teaching Logan a lesson." The elder woman responded when Rogue was finished.

"Oh boy. I'm sensing a 'but' here…"

Ororo chuckled.

"I just think I should warn you not to get lost in the act. With all these different psyches in your head… you know better than I how easily you could loose yourself."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

* * *

_**I love, love, loooove reviews, so pwease send some my way. :) **_


	2. Just An Act?

"She went out for the night. She'll be back by morning."

"Out? Thought she had classes in the morning, where'd she go?"

"In all honesty, I'm not sure. She's been doing this on and off for three months or so." Ororo shrugged as though it was no big deal, but she looked worried.

"Been doing what exactly?" He snapped, and Storm winced.

"Leaving. Coming back late. Shuffling out of her room in the morning…not feeling very well."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Hungover, you mean." Logan finally blurted. Ororo just shrugged again, looking a bit helpless.

"Well, why the hell haven't you said anything, 'Ro?" He was near growling now.

"You think I haven't tried? She's been every bit as difficult as you always are, what can I do? I was hoping you'd come back earlier to talk some sense into her before this became a problem, but I think it might be too late for that by now. If she keeps it up I'll have to do more than just 'say something'. This is a school, after all. Her attitude over all has been about as good as yours on a bad day, and I worry about her influencing the students."

"You're worrying about… with _her_?I didn't think I'd been away that long."

"A little more than three months. More than enough time for someone to fall off the wagon, especially when they feel as abandoned as she does. Trust me."

He stood up without another word and stalked out of the weather witches office, feeling angry but not the point of hitting something – for once. This wasn't like his Marie at all. He'd tried calling her earlier, just before pulling into the mansion's drive, hoping to surprise her. She hadn't answered. So, he'd just have to wait for her in their room.

He walked up the steps, thankful that most everyone else was already sleeping, and made his way quietly down the hallway to their room, more than ready to get comfortable in their bed. The idea that said bed would smell more like Marie than himself because she'd been the only one in it for months was almost enough to have him smiling. You know, if smiling was ever his thing, which it wasn't.

What he saw when he opened the door to the room was more than enough to change anything else he'd been feeling into worry. This wasn't like his neat and tidy Marie at all.

The bed was unmade and in shambles. There were clothes and shoes scattered around the room as though she'd just been too lazy to pick them up. There were empty beer bottles scattered around too; he knew she'd taken on his taste for the stuff, but not to that extent. A whiskey bottle, more than half empty, was sitting on the table next to her side of the bed.

He'd never even known she drank whiskey.

He set his bag down and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it. The whole room smelled of his cigars still. He brought one of Marie's pillows to his face.

It smelled like his Marie, just as it should have, but the scent was half way over powered by the sent of _cigars_.

Marie didn't smoke. Scolded him to take it outside when he tried to do so in their room. He sniffed the pillow again, picked up a piece of her clothing and smelled that too, making sure it was her scent he was picking up. No mistake. This was their room.

Had she lost her mind, or what?

He flipped on the t.v., flipped through the channels before finally settling on a random one, not paying attention to whatever was on it, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

…and waited.

It was one thirty in the morning when she finally walked in.

"Marie!" He was off the bed in seconds, heading towards her, and she looked surprised.

"Logan! I didn't know you'd be back!" She smiled but it wasn't quite her usual smile; it seemed a little forced. She came forward, a little unsteady on the stilletoes she was wearing, and wrapped her arms around him, placing a kiss on his lips.

He kissed back, but pulled away quickly.

"Told you I'd be back today, darlin, you're the on who wanted to know that so bad."

"I did? Sorry, guess I just forgot." She let him go and began pulling off her shoes, and it was then that he noticed what she was wearing.

Thin strapped white tank top tucked into a jean mini-skirt and a pair of shiny black high heels.

"What are you wearing? Not that I'm complaining, you look hot as always, but…"

"Oh, this? Thank yah, sugah. Wasn't sure where I was goin when I left, so I just kind of threw somethin on. How was your trip?" She asked the question flippantly, like an afterthought, as she continued to get undressed.

He watched her with a blank expression.

"Uh, it was… it was good. I went up north again, got another lead. On my past. That's why I was gone so long."

She slid into a white t-shirt that looked suspiciously like one of his own and a pair of shorts. She didn't answer immediately.

"Marie?"

"Hm?"

"I said I found something out about my past."

"Oh, that's great!" She lay down on the bed. "I'm so happy for you!" the tone of her voice left him a bit unsure if she meant it or not.

"Yeah. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Why don't you come to bed? I've missed you, you know. A lot." She patted the empty space on the bed next to her, a lustful glint in her pretty brown eyes.

"I've missed you too…" He slid into bed next to her and she leaned in to kiss him. He kissed back at first, and she was more aggressive than he was used to, deepening the kiss.

But she had just the faintest smell of alcohol on her and it was confusing becaue she still seemed like just Marie. After what 'Ro had told him, he' d been expecting something…different.

He pulled away.

She pouted.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm, uh, just tired. Lets just get some sleep, ok?"

"Well, alright, if you say so. G'night sugah."

"Night, Marie."

She snuggled close to him and was asleep within minutes and didn't stir until morning. He barely slept at all that night.

* * *

At first he hoped he wouldn't have to say anything about it. He was back now. He'd missed her so much while he was away. He was more ready to listen to her when she started talking about the wedding and how she felt and all that other stuff.

Maybe she'd level back out, stop acting so strange.

So he didn't do anything, just let her keep doing her thing. She didn't stay out all night now that he was back, not every night at least, but that wasn't the strangest of the strange when it came to this new Marie anyways.

The first thing he noticed was that she seemed to have become much more _appreciative_ of other guys. Or, at least, she'd become a lot less shy with how appreciative she was of other guys. He started avoiding Danger Room sessions with her; he couldn't stand watching her give other guys the once over. It usually resulted in him wanting to gut the other guys. And even he knew that wasn't fair to them.

Then there was the night he had a nightmare and decided to take a walk. He'd gotten out of bed as quietly as he could and Marie hadn't stirred at first, but she always seemed to just know when something was wrong. He was walking along the tree line, cigar clenched firmly between his teeth.

"Logan?" She came sauntering across the grounds towards him. She was wearing one of his shirts again, her favorite nightware because apparently 'it was nice n' comfy', and a pair of grey sweat pants. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Couldn't sleep, that's all."

"In other words you had a nightmare. I'm sorry, sugah."

"Not like it's your fault."

She fell in step along side him and they walked in silence for a while.

"I never get nightmares." He spoke again. "When I'm sleeping with you, I mean."

"Wonder why you did tonight."

_Maybe because I feel like I'm living with a complete stranger._

He didn't say that out loud, of course.

"Don't know. Been thinking about what I found out when I was gone, I guess."

He brought his cigar to his lips and took a long drag and she was staring at him – no, the cigar, with a look of longing in her brown eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, amused more than anything else.

"Don't even think about it, darlin. I can't get cancer."

"Neither can I, remember?" She mirrored his expression. "I can heal too."

"Not like I can."

"Enough that I haven't been sick in any way in over two years." And then she did something that could have, and probably would have, earned anyone else a good punch in the nose: she took his cigar right from between his lips and brought it to her own, taking a long drag and blowing out rings of smoke.

He stared at her.

"Since when do you smoke, Marie?"

She shrugged, careless.

"For a while now. You were away for over three months, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Was his gruff reply and he began heading back towards the mansion since it looked like he wasn't getting his cigar back, mumbling to himself. "Never seen a woman smoke a cigar before. Don't know how she does it, looking all girly with with smoke coming out her lips."

He might have thought it cute, her smoking one of his cigars. If that had been the only bad habit she seemed to have aquired, he might have even found the sight of her in one of his t-shirts smoking a cigar sexy in a way.

But the list kept going on and on.

He'd never seen her fight like she had been. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen _any woman_ who could fight like she had been.

Like when she actually asked him to come along when she went out one night. She was wearing a pair of jeans instead of a skirt and a pair of boots that were cute but sturdier than any of her heels.

"Not the worst place I've been in." Logan had commented as they walked into the smoky old bar. "But I'm sure you could find some place nicer."

"She, uh, picks this place for a reason." Jubilee was along for the ride too, of course, and usually she didn't seem to have a problem with Rogue's behavior, but tonight she sounded – and distinctly smelled – worried. "Roguey, can I talk to you."

She pulled her to the side and began speaking in hushed tones. Logan tuned in as best he could when he saw Marie scowl.

"I just think…going a little too far…supposed to be just an act…cage…lose yourself, remember?"

What he picked up didn't make much sense. Marie's expression softened some as she replied, but she knew better and leaned in real close to Jubilee, talking even softer. Even he couldn't hear.

Then she stopped the older man behind the bar and began talking to him. A look of disbelief crossed his features as he looked her up in down, but she grew more animated and the old barkeep finally nodded and led her away.

Marie walked up to him a few minutes later, two beers in hand. She handed him one as Jubilee bounced up to, a forced smile on her face.

"So, why did you pick this place then?"

"Thought we could catch a fight or two, that's all. You haven't been out in a while. Want to sign up?"

Logan was shocked that she would suggest it, but he certainly hadn't minded the idea, so he did.

It took him a while to put all the pieces together. How worried Jubilee was, Marie arguing with the barkeep, her telling him to sign up for the cage.

By the time he realized that she was really, actually, seriously going to do it, it was too late. All kinds of cat calls went up as she sauntered into the cage.

He watched, at first in horror thinking she'd never last more than five minutes, then in shock and awe as she held her own quite well.

He spent the whole time worrying anyways, though he attempted to make it seem like it didn't bother him.

Logan lost on purpose. He hated seeming like a pansy, but even that was better than actually fighting his Marie. That just wasn't happening. She won every fight, and was quite aggressive about it too. How she managed to actually _collect_ what she earned was a mystery to him, though with the way she'd been acting it wouldn't have surprised him if she dished out a few threats. Everyone who'd watched her fight would know not to mess with her, if they had half a brain that is.

He'd never actually seen her drink whiskey before; the bottle on her table had sat there for some time before simply disappearing. That night, though, she ordered three shots and downed them without hesitation, all while managing to look rather lady like as she sat at the bar. Still just Marie.

She was being as appreciative of the guys around as they had been of her all night. He spent the rest of the time scowling and growling at anyone who got close to her. She, on the other hand, made no move to ward them off.

That was when he began to get the feeling this was all supposed to be some kind of payback.

This realization made him angry more than anything else, and he tried to get back at her by starting to flirt with the barflies around in his own way, even letting one get awful close. This didn't go over so well; Marie had turned a cold shoulder, barely letting him touch her that night.

Then there was the mission-gone-wrong that ended in a fight with the brotherhood.

"Rogue, where do you think you're going?" Logan called after her as she ran off, apparently chasing after Mystique. He'd heard the two exchanging words, but had been too busy with Sabretooth to pay any real attention to them. He followed them the first chance he got.

When he got there Rogue appeared to be fighting, well, Rogue. It took him a moment to figure out which of the women was Mystique and which was Marie. And it was only when the real Rogue got frustrated that he realized it was her; she let out a growl to rival his own and lunged forward, slamming Mystique against a wall.

The other woman changed back to her natural, scaly, blue form, looking surprised by Rogue's sudden display of strength. She pushed Rogue back, then pounced on her, using her legs and feet like she was known to in a fight.

Rogue appeared to be in no mood to play games. She grabbed her opponent by the legs, swung her around, let her go and vaulted forward as the blue woman hit the ground.

She threw two punches, producing an audible crack, and Mystique was out cold. Rogue looked about ready to keep going.

"Marie!" Logan cut in before she could, taking a few steps forward. "I think that's enough."

She seemed to come at least half way back to her senses at the sound of his voice. He stepped a little closer to her and she smelled different; rage mingled with something too wild to belong to his Marie.

Logan just stared at her as she stood up, breathing ragged, and brushed herself off a bit. Was it just him, or were her eyes darker than usual?

"What?" She snapped at him. He winced.

"Nothing it's just… are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and appeared to take a breath and her entire stance changed. Her scent returned back to normal, sweet and feminine. When she opened her eyes back up they were chocolate brown, as always.

"Yeah, Ah'm fahne. Come on, I think we should get outta here." She jogged past him and he stared after her with a blank expression before following.

That night when they finally made it back to their room, she had seemed restless. When he tried to get her to go to sleep, she had gone at him, kissing him and practically tearing his clothes off, twice as aggressive as he was used to seeing her.

He tried asking her what was going on with her then, but she had gotten angry…before throwing him onto the bed and continuing what she had started. He got no answers from her that night, that was for sure.

That was the next thing that caught his attention; she seemed to be getting awful…feisty. Feistier than he was used to her being anyways.

Like when he attempted to say something about how she'd been acting.

"It's pretty late, you know."

"It's Friday. So?"

"So where've you been?"

She was wearing what she usually wore when she decided on a spur of the moment outing; straight leg jeans instead of a skirt, and a simple top with some high heels.

"Just out. With Jubes."

"That's what you always say."

"What more do yah want me to say?"

"Well, were you… I don't know, at a bar or something?"

"Why do yah wanna know so bad?" And her southern accent was getting thicker in the way that it always did when she was upset.

"Because it's not like you, that's all. Going to bars, I mean."

"And just how would yah know that, huh?"

"What do you mean how would I know that, I love you, I should know!" And he added a growl onto the last bit.

"Yah never around, yah always disappearin, for all yah know this is the real me and everythin else was an act!"

"This is rediculous! To make things worse, the last time I saw you wear jeans while going out you started cage fighting! From now on you tell me where you're going! I… I forbid you going out unless you do!"

She stiffened and he knew then that he'd crossed a line that he never should have crossed. He was doomed the moment the word 'forbid' left his mouth.

"Oh, no." She said, advancing on him, glaring and looking far more dangerous than a girl as pretty as her should've been able to. "You get to go out and do whatevah yah damn well please, but Ah have to tell yah what Ah'm doin like Ah'm a kid again?" She continued to come towards him and he walked backwards until he hit a wall. "You do not get to 'forbid' me to do anythin." She was toe to toe with him now, and she was just about as tall as him, so she managed to be pretty intimidating. He stared into her eyes and saw a genuine rage swirling within them. He could smell it on her too, along with that strange wild scent again, something…feral. She poked his chest. "Got it, bub?" He swore the last part came out in his Canadian accent.

He stared at her, speechless, unsure of how to react now that he was on the other end of the same sort of routine he pulled with people.

A moment passed and she shook her head as if to clear it before backing away, now looking smaller and more fragile.

"Ah-Ah'm goin to stay with Jubes tonight." She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she just shook her head again and walked out.

It wasn't until the next morning that he realized the ring he'd given her was sitting on her nightstand, cleverly hidden behind her alarm clock. He couldn't remember when last he'd seen her wearing it, and that realization made him feel like a real jerk.

Staring at the dust gathering around the ring, Logan got the feeling it had been sitting there for a while.

* * *

**_Thanks for the reviews and favorites and all that good stuff! _**

**_There's going to be just one more part to this. Not sure when it will be up, I'm going on vacation soon and won't be back for more than a week. I'll try to get it posted within the next few days._**

**_More reviews please (and thank you). :)_**


	3. Tough Girl

It was so strange, to have everything go on as usual around him. It was summer, so half the schools usual population had gone home. Marie had art classes she still taught for the kids who stayed, though, and Storm had insisted Logan make himself useful with Danger Room sessions, so he got few chances to talk to her. Well, talk to her alone anyways.

He started having the nightmares again after just two nights spent without her comforting presence beside him on the bed. He'd never realized just how much he _needed _his Marie.

He knew that, in all reality, he did deserve this. He'd screwed up and her strange behavior had to have been an act, at least at first. Everyone knew what payback was, and apparently that went double when your girlfriend had you in her head.

Because they were mutants, so 'simple' and 'normal' were never meant to be a part of their vocabularies.

But that was just it. She had him in her head. So, what did that mean? How much of it had been an act? Would he just have to get used to this new Marie? He could do that, he was sure of it. He still loved her, no doubts about that.

Maybe he just needed to make sure _she _knew that.

Maybe he needed to find a way to make sure _she_ was still in love with _him_, while he was at it.

An idea wormed its way into his head. He'd been thinking for a while that he felt like Marie was this stranger. So, maybe it was time to have her reintroduce herself.

* * *

Marie was lying on the grass, legs bent and propped up in front of her, brown eyes staring up at the cloudy sky.

"Hey Logan." She called out before he was even in her line of sight, because she'd picked up his scent, strange as that was.

"Hey yourself." He replied with what she'd been known to say from time to time. "How'd you know it was me?"

"'Cause Ah could smell yah, and isn't that just the weirdest sentence ever."

"Coming from you, kind of. You got my senses now?"

"Apparently."

"What'er you doing out here? It's going to rain."

"Don't know, just felt like sitting outside for a while. Got a problem with that?"

He stared down at her, quarking an eyebrow in that famous expression of his.

"Yeah, I do, only because of the 'it's about to rain' part."

"Ah kind of like the rain, actually." She replied airily.

"Marie."

"Oh, fine." She stood up and faced him, hands up fixing her ponytail. "Any particular reason why _you're_ out here?"

"I was looking for you."

"Well, you found me. What's on yah mind, Sugah?" They began walking back towards the mansion.

He hesitated, unsure of how to go on exactly, then decided to just say it and get it over with.

"M'sorryImessedupM'ree…" He mumbled and the words came out a jumbled mess.

Now it was her turn to quark an eyebrow, and was it just him or did she look a bit smug now?

"What was that? Ah don't think Ah heard yah right."

He let out a low growl, but she didn't seem fazed by it.

"I said I'm sorry. I've been a real jerk and you deserve better."

They were just outside the mansion now. It wasn't raining just yet so she stopped to look at him.

"Yes, yah've been a jerk. Guess you could call it even with the way Ah've been acting. Actually, that was kind of the point."

"Yeah. I kinda got that. Also get the feeling it hasn't been just an act here lately."

She shrugged.

"Guess Ah got a little carried away. That happens when yah're as messed up in the head as Ah am."

"You're not messed up, Marie. This is my fault, all of it. I just want my Marie back."

"Ah don't think it'll be that simple."

"Well then, lets just start over."

"What do yah mean, start over?"

"I mean lets start from the beginning. Just friends. Work our way up again and maybe get things right this time around. You try to get back to normal, whatever that means, and give me a chance to win you the way I should've to begin with."

"That's not a bad idea actually. Alright. Just friends, then." She started heading into the mansion, but turned to look back at him just before she reached the door. She fixed him with a glare that might have sent anyone else running scared. "Oh. And if you _ever_ try to _forbid_ me to do anything again…" She didn't finish the sentence off, just turned and headed back into the mansion.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know just what she'd do.

* * *

"So, wait, you guys are seriously just friends? Like, you could flirt with any guy and he can't say a word?"

Rogue rolled her eyes at Jubilee's over enthusiasm.

"Well, he _could_, but he kind of gave up the right to." She was sitting cross legged on the second bed in Jubilee's room, her bed for the time being, half-heartedly working on lesson plans for her art classes.

"Ugh, nothing's on." Jubilee had spent the last hour flipping through channels on the small t.v. she'd bought herself. Another moment passed before she finally settled on some random reality show. Rogue glanced up at the screen, which was now _bleeping_ out every other word said, and a soft growl of annoyance escaped her lips.

She surprised herself with the sound, and Jubilee laughed.

"That _would_ have been a bit scary if not for the look on your face."

Rogue threw a pillow at her, and Jubilee stuck her tongue out in an entirely childish manner before she began flipping through channels again.

Rogue glanced up at the door some few seconds before some one knocked on it.

"Hey Jubes, pucker up." She tossed the other girl a tube of lip gloss that had been sitting on the table next to her. Jubilee just managed to catch it and gave her a strange look before heading for the door.

Remy Labeau stood just outside their room now, giving Jubilee his most flirtatious smile.

Jubilee turned back to Rogue.

"How did you know it'd be him?"

"Who else would visit your room, Jubes?"

"Oh. Point taken."

Remy cleared his throat.

"Ah was jus' thinkin you an' Ah could go for a little walk, chere."

Rogue reached over and grabbed the remote off of Jubilee's bed.

"Yah'll have fun now."

Jubilee squealed before disappearing out the door with her boyfriend. Rogue winced a little at the sound before flipping through the channels herself, absent mindedly settling on a hockey game before going back to her lesson plans.

* * *

"She what?" Rogue flew out of her chair, her hands clenching themselves into fists.

"She's coming here for a few days."

"Why would she wanna do that?"

"Oh, I don't know." Storm replied with a mild sarcasm. "Maybe because you're her daughter and she hasn't seen you in how long?"

"Ten years, 'cause they didn't want meh around!" And her southern accent was stronger again. She started pacing.

"She was in tears by the time she hung up. She made it sound as though your father wasn't in the picture."

"Ah don't… wait. She didn't mention Daddy?"

"She did, only to tell me she'd finally divorced him."

This gave Rogue pause, but only breifly.

"Yah shoulda said no! Ah'm not even the same girl that left, why does she wanna come see me _now_ anyways."

"I don't know, Rogue. All I know is that she said she was coming down here whether I said yes or not. I figured I might as well give her some place to stay. It's called being diplomatic."

Rogue snorted and headed for the door, ignoring Ororo's calls for her to come back. She was seeing red. She needed to…she didn't even know. She felt like hitting something.

A quiet little voice in her head whispered that this was the Logan in her talking again, and that was easily confirmed by the strange itch she got in her knuckles, the same one she got every time she was this angry now. She stalked through the halls, nearly running into the actual Logan.

"Hey, whoa, Marie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She went on walking. He followed after her.

"Just hold up a minute, where're you going?"

"Danger Room." She ground out between gritted teeth, and he stopped following after a moment, though she could feel his worried eyes on her back as she went.

* * *

"She'll be here in like ten minutes. What are you doing?"

"Gettin dressed!"

"Uhm, Roguey, you do realize this is your MOM your about to see, right?"

Rogue had wanted to do a Logan-style disappearing act the night before, but Logan himself had stopped her at the door, saying he wouldn't even be a good friend if he let her run like that. So, she'd decided that just because she _had_ to see her mother didn't mean she _had_ to behave.

She was wearing a low cut black tank top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of lace up leather biker boots. More than enough to scare her mother speechless, she hoped.

"Storm's going to kill you if you go down looking like that!"

"Naw, that's ok, we're not sure that's possible anymore, 'member? Logan's healin, wonderful thing to have sometimes." She walked out of their room and Jubilee followed close behind her.

"Oh-oh, this is not going to be good." She mumbled.

"Yah're rahght, Jubes, it isn't."

* * *

Logan was there when she got to Storms office, and he hovered close by her as her mother began talking. She wondered whether he was there to support her, or try to keep her from losing it in front of her mother. Either way, she was kind of glad he was.

"So, uhm, do you lahke it here?"

"Ah've stayed here all this time, don't know why Ah would've if Ah didn't lahke it."

"It was just a question; you don't have to be so rude."

"You don't have to ask dumb-ass questions."

Storm glanced at her and Logan scowled, murmuring to her.

"You're already pushing it, darlin…"

"It's alrahght." Her mother said. "Ah think Ah shoulda known this was a bad idea. We left her with nowhere to go. Ah shouldn't've expected her to grow into a respectable young lady without her parents."

"She _is _a nice young woman." Storm replied, looking at Rogue as she spoke. "She's just gotten very good at acting like she's not."

"Who says Ah'm actin?"

"Marie, Ah…"

"Why did yah come? Because yah were suddenly worried about what happened to meh? Or because yah just felt guilty?"

"Of course Ah felt quilty, but Ah've been worried the whole tahme."

"Bull." Rogue wouldn't even let her mother finish a thought. A tear rolled down the woman's cheek. Rogue froze as guilt suddenly started to worm its way in between her anger.

"It's getting later, maybe we shouldn't do this now." Storm cut in. "I have a room for you to stay in, Mrs. D'Ancanto, just come with me."

She led Rogue's mother out of the room. Rogue herself got up and started heading for her and Jubilee's room.

"Hey." Logan followed her. "Where are you…"

Marie grabbed her leather jacket, the one Logan had bought her, and took her pack of cigarettes out of the drawer she'd hidden them in, slipping them into a pocket before Logan could see.

"I'm going…out."

"Out?"

"Yep."

"To do what?"

"I don't know, something un-ladylike. 'Cause I can."

"Oh. Not impulsive at all. Ain't that comforting."

"See yah, Logan." She slipped out the door.

* * *

Smoky bar. Whiskey, lots of whiskey, but she wasn't getting drunk. A little tipsy maybe. Guys all around her, eyeing her. She picked one and sauntered up to him, hips swaying. She took his hands, placed them on her hips as she moved them to the beat of the music playing, grinding against him.

He followed her back to the bar. She sat down and got another whiskey, then took out her cigarettes and lit one for the third time that evening. He watched her. She was facing him and pulled him closer so he was standing between her legs. She pulled him in for a kiss and he seemed surprised, but kissed back.

"Can we go to your place?" She murmured and he nodded. They left and she hopped back on the motorcycle she had taken and followed him to his apartment. She took control, then, and oh, did it feel good.

* * *

It was 2 a.m. when she walked back into the mansion. She was hoping that everyone would be sleeping; that Logan would still be sleeping.

Of course, she was never that lucky. Logan was in the t.v. room, sitting on the couch, almost as if he'd been waiting for her.

"Jesus, I was beginning to think you'd never get back."

She walked in and sat down on the other end of the couch from him.

"What are yah, my daddy now?" Her tone wasn't half as harsh as her words.

"Sorry." Was his curt reply. They sat in silence for a while.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep." She stood and he didn't even look at her as he responded.

"Where were you?" His tone was demanding now.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"You smell like…"

"G'night, Logan."

"You shouldn't be cheapening yourself like that."

She was in the door way now, but froze.

"What?"

"Cheap sex. Do you even know his name?"

She thought about lying, but knew it was pointless with him.

"Never thought to ask. Why do you care? You do it all the time. Or, used to anyways?"

"You deserve better, though. When we agreed to start over I didn't think that meant sleeping with other people too."

She paused, thought on that for a moment, then quietly replied.

"Now we really are even." And with that she left him alone.

* * *

Oh yeah, 'Ro, Logan thought as the kids began filing into the Danger Room, this was a _brialliant_ idea.

Rogue had apparently woken up with something close to hangover and had been in a horrible mood all day. Horrible meaning she was about as ready to bite everyone's head off as he usually was. So, 'Ro had suggested that she go down and taken some of her anger out on the sentinels in the Danger Room, because at least they couldn't get hurt.

So here they were, stuck in a room with a bunch of chattering kids who wouldn't get focused no matter how many times either he or Rogue growled at them to shut up and start paying attention. The tension between the two alone was thick enough to cut with a knife; the kids should've been running scared.

"She really needs to find somebody else for this job." He grumbled.

"Preferably somebody with a little more patience. Not you. Or me. Or you and me." She replied.

"Guess we should just go ahead and get started."

She snatched the half-smoked cigar that he'd been puffing on, and he half expected her to put it out some how, but she didn't, bringing it to her own lips instead. He glared at her for half a minute before barking out an order for the simulation to start itself.

They spent half an hour like that. Rogue and Logan easily dodging, because they knew real life was twice as tough as any simulation, and trying to keep their distance from eachother.

That is until Rogue got hit with a piece of scrap metal, courtesy of one of the kids, and decided that she was just going to get it over with for them.

"Marie, don't!" He growled, but she ignored him.

He forgot sometimes that his weren't the only powers she had to use. She sprinted forward and used Magneto's powers and the piece of scrap metal to lift herself up, towards the sentinel. Then she used Iceman's powers (he hadn't even known she'd absorbed Bobby) to freeze the top half of the sentinel, including the head, making it brittle. Then, without any further warning, she vaulted forward and somehow managed to latch onto it's head (it looked suspiciously like she had grown some kind of claws…) and with a roar much like his own, though much higher pitched of course, she some how managed to tear the things head off. The kids all backed away as it came slamming to the ground.

She came out from behind it, rolling her shoulders, wounds on her knuckles healing a little slower than his would have, and he was hit with a strange sense of déjà vu, except the roles were reversed.

The simulation ended itself.

"Go on, now." She told the kids, sounding calm and collected as ever. They stared at her wide eyed.

"She said get out!" He growled, and they started all at once before beating a hasty retreat. He turned and stalked towards her. "What was that, huh? What was that?" And he was still growling and she didn't look scared, not one bit.

"Uhm, Ah think it was a Danger Room session."

"What happens when you try something like that in real life? You could get yourself killed!"

"But this _wasn't_ real life, and Ah _didn't_, so chill the hell out."

"Stop that!"

"Stop what, Logan?"

"Swearing! And smoking and acting like some kind of tough girl!"

"Thought yah said yah didn't care, thought that was the point of startin over!"

They were circling around each other now, fists clenched. It was turning into a screaming match.

"I didn't know starting over was giving you permission!"

"Permission for what? Ah'm twenty six, I don't need anyones _permission _for anythin!"

"Payback, is that what this still is? I'm sorry I messed things up, but God Marie!"

"Sure, because it could really be that simple! Are you just mad about last night? I'm not going to say sorry, unlike you I didn't actually cheat!"

That was it, the final straw. They were both seeing red. He came at her like she was an opponent in a cage match and she responded in kind. They danced across the floor of the Danger Room, ducking and dodging eachother easily. He healed faster than she did, so he had an advantage, but she was quicker and more lithe.

He was shocked when she started using her borrowed powers against him. First Bobby's to send him slidng across the floor and flying into her leg, then Magneto's to send him flying back into a wall.

Then his own as she flew towards him with three sharp bone-like claws protruding from her hands. He blocked her and tried to back her up, pin her against a wall.

She managed to get through and sent her claws sliding across his cheek.

He stopped cold and brought a hand up in surprised. The deep scratches were already healing, of course, but it seemed to shock her back into reality too. Her claws slid back in and he could see the wounds knitting themselves back together as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh Gawd…Logan, Ah…What are we _doing_?" She backed up slowly until her back hit a wall; she slid down it and tore her eyes from him to stare at the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

There was a long, tense pause.

"I give up." He finally spoke. "Been waiting for a while now, hoping things could go back to normal. Know what? I don't even think I really want them to."

"Neither do Ah." She replied quietly.

He knelt down in front of her.

"I'll have eyes only from you from now on."

"And Ah you. Promise?"

"Only if you do."

She nodded and took his offered hands, standing with him.

"What about, you know, all the other stuff. Ah seem to recall you callin me a 'tough girl'."

He chuckled.

"I was upset about last night. Tough girl. It's pretty sexy, actually."

She rolled her eyes and smiled before leaning into kiss him.

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Don't know…why?"

"Ah was supposed to meet with Mama again." And the fire was right back in her eyes.

"You know, darlin… I think it's high time for a little road trip."

She stared at him for a moment, then smirked.

* * *

"Their gone Mrs. D'Ancanto." A very flustered Ororo Munroe blurted out to Marie's mother.

"Their?"

"I'm sorry, she and her… oh, I don't know what he is! Friend, fiance. For all I know their sleeping together again!"

"Excuse meh!"

"I expect this from him, not her. She's usually much more _stable_. But not here lately. She's been just as bad as him. I tried to warn her, but no one listens to me! And I _need_ them, because we're short on teachers, classes start again in just two weeks!" Ororo seemed to be at the end of her rope.

Marie's mother stared at her, eyes wide as she continued to rant.

Behind her, sitting on her large desk, was a note written in Marie's neat script.

_Needed some time alone.  
Will be back…eventually I'm sure.  
M & L_

* * *

_**Whew, this one is super long. I tried not to make it seem rushed. Hope you liked it. **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews and favorites. :)**_


	4. Feel Like a Monster

It was a perfect, sunny day at Xavier's school for mutants; a few kids hung around outside for their free period. The air was chilly, but not windy. Inside classes went about as usual; Ororo Munroe was just taking a group of X-men-to-be down to a Danger Room session; a newer addition to the mansion was just taking out his own group for an auto shop class.

It was at about this time that the rather beat up pickup truck came roaring down the drive. It was white and couldn't have been that old, but it was badly dented in a few odd places. The kids in the yard stopped what they were doing and stared as it wound its way down and into the mansions garage.

The shop class had only just poured in and stopped to stare as the pickup came to halt and a woman got out. A woman wearing tight black jeans, lace up leather boots, and a leather jacket.

She had long, dark brown hair with a white streak going down either side.

The auto shop teacher, having arrived a few weeks after Logan and Marie left, had never seen this woman before that he could recall.

The woman came forward and walked right passed him, quirking and eyebrow at him but saying nothing.

It took him a moment to find his voice.

"Wait a minute, miss! Miss, you can't just…" He started to go after her. He heard a some of the older students murmur something about 'Rogue', and he could only assume that's who the woman was, but her abrupt entrance still warranted a question or two, he figured.

He jogged forward, placing himself between her and the door.

"What, pretty boy?" She had a southern accent.

"You can't just waltz in here like that, this is a school."

She looked a little amused.

"Your new here, aren't yah?"

"I've been here for six months."

"Really?" She seemed surprised. "Didn't think it had been quite that long… kind of easy to forget about things when it's just me and Logan." She shrugged, careless. "Ah'm no stranger around here, believe me peaches. Ah need to talk to 'Ro."

He gave her a blank look.

"Ororo Munroe? Storm?"

"She'll be busy in the Danger Room; I can take you to her office…"

"Yah don't understand. Ah need to talk to her _now_." She sounded more urgent. "So if yah could just get out of my way."

She skirted around him and walked inside. He told his class to just wait a moment and followed right on her heals.

"But she's been very specific lately, we're not to allow anyone in without letting her or Jubilee know…"

"Jubes! Is she still staying in the same room? Or did she and Remy finally just move in together?"

"They're on their honeymoon actually, but that's not the point, you still can't just…"

"Look, peaches, Ah'm startin to get just a little annoyed. Run on back to yah shop class and just trust me. Storm won't mind me interruptin her session once I explain why."

"I can't just let you…'

He had to try just once more, this time grabbing her arm as she tried to turn back around.

Big mistake.

The next thing he knew, she was slamming him against the wall with a strength that should have been entirely impossible for her small frame.

He hadn't really noticed her eyes before, but getting a close-up look now he swore they'd gotten darker.

"What part of 'get out of my way' didn't you understand?" She growled – _growled?_ – at him.

"I-I…" He stuttered stupidly.

"Hey!" A voice all-too-familiar to them both called out. "I think that's enough. Rogue, let Chase go."

The black in her eyes receded like storm clouds dispersing. Rogue let go of him after a moment's hesitation, turning around to face Storm, sounding calm, but looking no less tense.

"If yah don't want anyone to get in, you should just close the gates. Chase here makes for a kind of pathetic security system." She looked back to him, suddenly looking more like an innocent southern belle than then the wild and dangerous thing she'd been just moments earlier. "No offense."

"Offense taken, but I suppose I'll get over it." He straightened himself out, looking indignant.

Rogue turned back to Ororo, who was giving her a look. She winced.

"I'm not going to do this where the students can hear." Ororo turned and headed towards her office without another word.

Rogue followed.

* * *

"Ah know, Ah know, Ah've been spending too much time with Logan, Ah should find a more healthy relationship… Too late, actually." She held up her left hand, displaying the diamond Logan had given her, along with a plain little wedding band. "Speaking of Logan, I really need…"

Ororo held up a hand to hush her and Rogue stopped midsentence, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"You disappear for months. We barely hear from either of you. Then you waltz back in as if you own the place and threaten the first innocent boy you see. Actually, I'm not surprised at all. Same old routine as always."

Rogue looked past the Weather Witch and out the window. The clouds that seemed to be gathering from nothing belied the older woman's calm appearance.

"Ah know, Ah'm sorry, we can talk about my un-ladylike, uhm, whatever later, but Ah really need yah to listen, 'cause…"

"Un-ladylike? I'm not even sure how to describe your behavior. And your poor mother, don't even get me started. She really wanted to fix things. Or, at least to _try_. You could've given her credit for that."

Rogue tried to be patient. She did. She tried to keep her mouth shut as Ororo went on about just what Rogue _should've _done.

She tried to be a good little girl. But she just didn't have the patience for it, least of all not now, and her own inner animal had been screaming for days that she had to do _something_ to get her mate back.

"…and you just missed the wedding! Do you have any idea how upset Jubilee was when she realized…"

"Will you stop!" Rogue exploded in an angry growl. "Ah'll say sorry to everyone a thousand times over if Ah really have to, but Logan's been taken, and Ah need your help!"

Ororo suddenly looked horrified.

"Logan's been what?"

* * *

"Yah know where he is, you just told me yah do! Tell me!" It had been two weeks and they'd only just managed to figure out where Logan would _most likely_ have been taken. Rogue was getting desperate.

"If I do, what happens then? You'll leave on your own. I can't let you do that."

"Well, why not? Save yah'll the trouble of doin anythin, especially with Jubilee and Remy gone."

"I've already called them, they're coming back for a few days just to help. Don't forget, you do have _friends_. I know Logan _and _you. Your version of saving him will be to impale first and ask questions later, and you could get yourself killed. We have to be sure that's where he is first."

"Ah'm _not_ him. Ah don't want to kill anyone. Please. Ah just…Ah really want my husband back."

For a moment she thought that last statement, punctuated with an I'm-about-to-cry waver in her voice, would be enough to break Ororo.

Not quite, but she took some satisfaction in the fact that it came close.

"No. I'm sorry, Rogue. You'll just have to wait."

Rogue stormed out of the room.

* * *

"Logan?" Rogue could hear him. Just barely over the roar of other sounds, including a blaring siren, but she _could _hear him.

She darted down a hallway and further into the compound, ignoring Storm as she went, and felt a strange sense of relief when his voice got louder and clearer. She was going the right way.

The first few guys to come at her were easy to get past. They didn't have guns.

She jogged down a hallway and was pretty sure she was close to finding Logan. She rounded a corner and…

…and froze in place as four more guards came towards her.

_These_ guys had guns. Big guns.

She tried not to let her fear show in her expression as she brought up a hand and concentrated on thoughts of Magneto. It worked; all four guns went flying out of the guards hands.

They came towards her anyways. She backed up a few steps franticly, but more guards came in from that direction.

How many heavies did they have working here, anyways?

She thought about using Bobby's powers somehow, but she wasn't that good with them, wasn't sure it would do her any good. Pyro's powers…well, setting the hallway on fire would be extremely counter-productive. She'd promised Storm that she'd try _not_ thinking like Logan for once. That was so much easier said than done, unfortunately.

Then the proverbial light bulb finally lit up and she remembered an entirely different kind of mutation she'd gotten to use much more recently.

* * *

Storm had sent Bobby after Rogue the minute she ran off. He heard shouting and gunfire coming from the direction she'd gone in and ran straight for it, expecting to either find Rogue shot half to death – or a bunch of guards _stabbed _half to death.

He found neither.

What he _did _see when he turned the corner was several guards, two of them knocked out cold, another two nursing a wounded arm and a bloody nose, the rest looking around tensely, all of them surrounded by a whole lot of blue smoke.

Just when Rogue had gotten the chance to absorb Kurt, and for what reason, Bobby had no clue. The one woman army, that's what he was starting to think of her as.

There was no sign of Rogue herself.

* * *

"LOGAN!" Rogue sprinted across the room, passing several other much younger mutants on her way, stopping just before the cage housing her husband – her mate.

It wasn't made of adamantium; logic dictated that it shouldn't have been able to contain him. This didn't register in her frantic mind yet, though.

"Marie! I heard – for a minute there I thought you'd been hit!"

"Ah'm fine Ah think." She replied, already taking a closer look at the cage he was in. "We need to hurry. Any ahdea how to open these things?"

He shook his head, but she wasn't paying attention, her thoughts racing ahead a mile a minute. Pulling Magneto to the forefront of her mind for the second time that day, she took a few steps back from Logan's prison.

"Everybody get back!" She called to the rest of the mutants. They all did so without question.

She brought up both hands.

"Marie, don't, you're not him, you can't …"

Magneto's voiced whispered to her, 'you are far stronger than he'll ever know, child', and the feral in her snarled that _something_ had to be done. Rogue ignored Logan and brought up both hands, focusing on the metal bars making up the cages around her.

For a moment it seemed as though nothing at all would happen. Then, slowly, the metal bars began to creak and groan, bending out towards her further and further. One by one they broke apart and bent back, creating gaps just wide enough for those trapped inside to escape.

The last to break apart was Logan's. She stumbled backwards, pale and weakened. He came running out towards her and she smiled wide as he enveloped her in a hug.

"Come on!" She grabbed his hand. "This way!"

"Marie, wait, there's something…"

She led him out into an open area with several computers set up, displaying live feed from cameras all over the compound they were in.

Storm and the rest of the team, in some strange twist of fate, were heading the wrong way, towards the opposite end of the compound. They were being driven back by heavily armed guards and a handful of what appeared to be other mutants – why a group of mutants would be working for a _mutant_ testing lab, none of the X-men were quite sure they wanted to know.

The guards were leaving the mutants to it and heading back towards Marie and Logan, probably called in by their buddies after Rogue freed the others.

"This should be fun." Rogue sounded only half sarcastic as she began heading for the doorway leading out of the camera room. "Come on, between the two of us Ah'm sure we can make it."

"Yeah, about that darlin, I have a problem…"

She turned to him and he gestured towards a small device strapped firmly to his wrist.

"It's some kind of control device; my powers won't work – at all – unless _they_ let them."

She took his hand and inspected the device.

"They don't come off too easily. I've tried."

"We're runnin out of tahme. Maybe Ah can use Kurt's powers…"

The door slammed open behind her. Time was up.

Before either of them could make any move to defend themselves, the guards brought up their weapons and fired.

Logan threw himself in front of Rogue on instinct, taking as many hits as he could until he collapsed in front of her, blood trickling out of wounds that weren't healing like they should have.

The guards fired off one last round, this time hitting Rogue full on. Big mistake. She _could_ heal.

The last thing Logan heard was his little Marie letting out a battle cry to easily rival his own, followed by the screams of her victims.

* * *

"L-Logan? P-please tell me that worked… The others are headin back to the jet, we have to get out of here _now_!"

He opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in pain, so somehow he could heal again. Then he realized why; someone, probably Marie, had shot the device that had been inhibiting his powers.

He stood up and looked around. There was blood. Lots of it. Everywhere. Splattered across the walls and pooling on the floor. The stench of it flooded his nose, almost overwhelming. The guards who had shot him were all very dead.

Marie was covered in blood. Looking down at himself, he realized he'd been splattered with it too.

"Ah-Ah know, it's so awful, Ah-Ah'm some kind of monster ain't Ah, and Storm's gonna leave without us Ah think 'cause mah communicator broke, and Ah can't remember the way back and…"

All this happened in a matter of seconds, in all reality, and Logan didn't really have time to formulate a response before Bobby came running into the room. He paused. Turned his incredulous gaze on Logan.

"Logan…what kind of animal _are _you? Did you have to kill them _all_?"

* * *

Storm took off as soon as they made it inside the jet. Rogue refused to be buckled into a chair; she darted to the back of the jet, sitting herself in a corner and curling into a ball. She refused to talk to anyone.

Bobby was already describing what he'd seen to Storm and the others; none of them seemed surprised until he revealed that it had apparently been Rogue's doing.

"That doesn't sound like her…"

"Why would she do something so terrible…"

"I knew she'd been spending too much time around you, Logan, I told her…"

"Stop!" He growled. "She was protecting me! I couldn't heal, they had some kind of inhibitor on me. Bunch of trigger happy numb-nuts came running in, guns blazing, and shot me down because I couldn't fight back. It was her turn to rescue me, that's all! She was just defending her husband- defending her mate!"

He glanced back at Rogue, who said nothing, but had her frightened brown eyes trained on him.

"I couldn't be more proud of her." He finished in a quiet, gentle voice that wasn't characteristic of him at all.

The others exchanged looks, glancing intermittently at Rogue, for a few moments. Rogue curled herself back into her little ball.

Logan thought it best to just let her be for the time being. He knew she'd come to him when she was ready.

* * *

Rogue trailed after Logan when they made their way off the jet, ignoring everyone else around her. Even Jubilee, who tried to ask her if she was alright, got no response.

Storm told him he should go down to the med lab with Remy, who had somehow wound up with a broken leg. He refused, of course, and she didn't push it. He didn't need medical attention and they all knew it.

Logan turned to his Marie, hushing her when she went to say something. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and his other around her legs, and picked her up, holding her close as he began to head inside the mansion.

He could feel everyone's eyes on his back as he went, but he ignored them.

He carried her all the way to their room, brought her inside, helped her peel of her blood stained uniform before getting out of the white pants and tattered tank top he'd been wearing, and led her into the shower.

She turned the water scalding hot; it ran red at first. He stepped in with her and gently cleaned her off; she seemed to come around a bit, returning the favor before repeating the process on herself. She scrubbed her skin raw, probably in an attempt to get rid of some phantom grimy feeling. He finally took the sponge away from her and pulled her close as she began shaking, a few quiet sobs wracking her body.

God help him, he shed a few tears of his own, too. He be damned if he ever did _that_ in front of anyone that wasn't his Marie.

The water went cold after a while; they got out and dried off, but didn't bother dressing. He led her back into the bedroom and he kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, rough and hungry and primal, and she hesitated at first, but he left no room for much of that. Soon she was returning the kiss and being just as aggressive, and that was how they spent that night, completely losing themselves to each other.

It would be days before anyone saw either of them again.

_**For the record: this isn't actually how I was going to end it – I was going to have Marie break down completely over what she did, but that would've made her seem kind of weak, and I didn't want that. I didn't want her to seem cold, either, though. Needless to say, I think this last scene is a little awkward. I could be wrong.**_

_**I wasn't even planning to continue this at first; this idea came out of nowhere and I just had to write it. This fic is already turning into its own monster. Blame my over-active imagination. :D**_

_**Oh, and the song that inspired this one is Monster by Skillet, and it's an epic song if you want to listen to it. Skillet is an epic band, actually. Just saying.**_

_**There'll be another chapter soon, and that one will be much less dark. Maybe even funny, if I'm lucky.**_

_**Reviews would be much appreciated for this one. :)**_


	5. The Bride, All Dressed In?

"Maybe we should get out of here. I mean for good this time." Logan had been sitting on this idea for a few days already, unsure of whether to bounce it off Marie. They were sitting outside, in the dark, sort of sharing one of his cigars – she kept snatching it from him to take a drag, and he really didn't mind.

She looked a little confused.

"Why? Not that Ah don't love it when it's just you and me."

"Don't know. Just seems like, here lately… maybe we'd be better off alone."

"What got you thinking that?" She asked, then quickly added, "And don't you dare make something up."

"You think I haven't noticed how you've been avoiding everyone, except me. And maybe Jubilee, but you've been keeping your distance around her too. Almost like when you still couldn't control your skin."

She didn't answer immediately. He decided pushing it would be a good idea this time.

"What are you afraid of now, Marie?" He was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"It's kind of silly, maybe."

"Try me."

"It just hasn't been as easy to get used to as Ah thought it would be, that's all." She ducked her head to hide behind a curtain of her dark hair, acting unusually sheepish. "My own Wolverine, pacing around in my head. A whole new thing to get control of. Yah know, Ah never had a real temper problem until Ah met you."

This was exactly the answer he'd been afraid of getting from her.

"I'm sorry." He replied flat out. "I wish I'd known you'd get the animal too when I offered to help you with your skin. Should never have been yours to deal with."

She scooted closer to him, leaning into him and he wrapped an arm around her. All was silent for a long moment.

"Ah'm not." She replied, finally. "Sorry, Ah mean. And Ah don't want you to be, either. Ah'm not sure we'd be married now if yah hadn't helped like yah did. Ah may have never fallen in love if Ah didn't get to know you like Ah do. Ah just need time to…cope. But Ah don't want you to be sorry."

He heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Fair enough. No more apologies, then. But I want you to promise me that you'll stop with this 'hide away' stuff. It's not like you. And Jubes is really starting to miss her, erm, 'Roguey'."

Marie let out a laugh at this, a genuine laugh. It had been too long since he'd heard her really laugh. He'd missed it.

"She came and talked to you, didn't she? Do Ah even _want _to know how that conversation went?"

"It wasn't _that _bad, but she did make a suggestion or two about how to cheer you up…"

* * *

"Saying 'I do' in a chapel in Vegas while wearing a leather jacket and those hideous boots does _not_ count."

They were decorating one of the mansions many extra rooms for a student dance, and Jubilee was taking full advantage of the opportunity.

"Ah have a ring around my finger and a little piece of paper to prove that it does, actually." Marie was doing a bit of a balancing act, standing up on a chair which was on top of a table, attempting to hang some streamers on the high ceiling above them. She paused after a moment to glare at her friend. "And Ah like these boots!"

"Obviously, that's like all you wear now, and I know you have cuter shoes, I've seen them."

"Heels aren't as comfy, though. Oh…" A few swear words slipped unbidden from her lips as the chair wobbled and she nearly fell.

"You're lucky Storms not around to hear you say _that._ Will you give up already? You're making me nervous."

Marie growled softly in frustration before jumping off the chair and table, landing right in front of Jubilee.

"You're the one who asked me to help."

"Yeah, because it was the only way I thought I could get you to stick around long enough to actually talk. Just, pleeeease, promise me you'll think about it? I think it would be fun! And letting me plan your wedding might just be enough to make up for you missing _miiine._" She smiled, the last part coming out in a sing song voice.

Marie couldn't help the guilty look that washed over her face.

"Hey, Ah said Ah was sorry…"

"I know, and I forgive you, but that doesn't mean we're even." Jubilee gave her a pouty face. Marie didn't bother trying to stare her down.

"Ah guess, maybe, it could sorta, be kinda fun…" She flinched as Jubilee squealed louder than ever.

"Yes! Gosh, like I wasn't even sure I'd ever get you to say yes. We should start planning like right away!"

"You're starting to say 'like' again, Jubes."

"Sorry." The Asian replied off handedly as she grabbed Marie's hand. "We have to go tell Storm, because of course you'll have it here, right? And then you'll have to start picking out colors schemes – I'm guessing no yellows or pinks? We can have Kitty help, she's good with that stuff. And just wait until we go dress shopping, I _know_ you'll have fun with that. Just think how pretty you'll look! I don't think I've ever seen you in white!"

She was dragging Marie down the hallway now, passing Logan, who snickered

She glared at him before disappearing around the corner with Jubilee.

* * *

"You were right. We should've left while we had the chance." Marie told him a few days later. She'd just come in from a run and stalked passed him, into their bedroom. It was getting warm out already, unusually so, and she was wearing a grey wife beater along with some pretty short shorts.

"It can't be _that _bad."

"She said something about lace. And candles that smell like flowers." She peeled off her sweaty tank top with two well-toned arms, revealing her flat, tight stomach. Her bra quickly followed.

"Oh. That _is_ bad. Thought it was normal for a wedding, though?" He tried not to stare.

"How am Ah supposed to know? The only wedding Ah've ever been too was my cousins. Ah was five." Off came the shorts now too, and don't even get him started on those legs of hers.

"You'll look real pretty, all dressed up in white." He offered.

"Yeah, just like you'll look real handsome in a tux." She replied and she was fully undressed now.

"Already thought of that, it won't kill me just this once. I don't think." He wasn't even trying to keep his eyes on her pretty face anymore.

"Logan!" She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself. "If we're going to do this we might as well make it worth it."

"What do you mean, make it worth it?" He asked, sounding worried. He didn't like where this was going, at all. She walked up, hips swaying, and leaned in close.

"Ah mean, no sex until after the wedding." She smirked when his eyes widened. "Should make for one amazin honeymoon." She placed a quick kiss on his lips before she spun back around and started heading for the bathroom.

"Tease." He growled. "That'll be months from now, no way _either _of us will make it that long."

"We can certainly try." She replied before closing the bathroom door – and locking it.

* * *

"The wedding is four months from now." Ororo was keeping her tone neutral.

"I know. What, you think we can't do it?"

"I think you can, but I'll be surprised if there's anything left of your dress by the end of that night knowing you two." A giggle from Kitty.

"Yeah, wild animals, that's all I'm saying." This from Jubilee, who sounded impatient. "Are you done in there or what?"

Marie had spent the last hour or so trying on all sorts of long white gowns, none of which had wowed her the way Jubilee had said the right one would.

She knew it was a bad idea to bring those three along. She kept trying to tell them lace wasn't her thing. Storm was still insisting that there were certain things that 'were every girls _thing_', though, and Jubes… Marie was convinced Jubilee had some kind of strange fetish for the stuff.

The dress she had on now, though… she liked this one. A lot. It still had a lot of lace and trimming, but it was just perfect.

She stepped out of the dressing room.

"Oh, Roguey, you look so sexy! What do you think of this one? Is this the one? This _has _to be the one."

"Kind of looks like one of those sexy corsets." Kitty was grinning.

"You do look very beautiful. It's very…risqué. But then I suppose that just makes it very you." Ororo added.

Marie turned to the sales clerk who'd been helping her.

"Is it possible to get this in black?" As it was the dress was white with silvery beading.

"Oh yes, it will cost a little extra, but we can order one in a different color. But the dress itself – you like this one?"

"Yes. I like this one. _A lot._"

Jubilee, Kitty and Ororo came up to stand by her, looking into the mirror.

"Well. Alright then." Ororo smiled.

* * *

"Are you trying to make me go insane?"

She'd just come in from a run again – winding her way through the forest that made up most of the mansions grounds, it was becoming a routine – and was heading for a shower when Logan walked in.

"Ah didn't know hot and sweaty counted a sexy."

"On you? Wearing a tank top and shorts like those? When you haven't let me get near you in weeks? Yeah, darlin. It counts."

They had three months left until the end of July, when the date for the wedding was set. The date seemed kind of odd to a lot of people, but Marie had wanted it to be on the same day she and Logan had begun dating.

It had been a month since she'd told Logan she wanted to refrain from certain _activities _until after the wedding, and to be honest, it was starting to get to her too. But she'd been the one to suggest it, so somehow the idea of admitting defeat when they were less than halfway there left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She rolled her eyes.

"Yah can look all yah want, Sugah, yah just can't touch." She smirked as she began undressing slowly, shimmying out of her sweaty tank top and shorts.

He mumbled something under his breath as he kicked his boots off and plopped himself down on their bed.

"You going out or something?" He looked over the outfit she'd laid out, a little black dress that had been gathering dust in the back of her closet for some time, along with a pair of plain black pumps.

"Student dance tonight."

"Wasn't that supposed to happen like a month ago?"

"Ororo had some kind of deal going with the students and their grades. Guess it didn't work out the first time around."

"Oh. So who roped _you_ into being there? You wouldn't have listened to 'Ro."

"I agreed to be there before Jubes told me that I absolutely had to wear a dress."

He snickered. She growled and threw one of the pumps at him.

"You're pretty cute when you're angry. 'Specially when you growl."

"Ah'm pretty sure you're the only person to ever use the word 'cute' to describe me when Ah'm angry."

"You're the only person who's ever called me cute in _any_ way, so we're even on that one."

She chuckled before gathering up her clothes and disappearing inside the bathroom. He flipped on the t.v. and tried not to think of her without clothes, under the water, all smooth skin and tight muscles and…

She came out of the bathroom some twenty-five minutes later, dressed with perhaps a little bit of makeup on, hair pulled back into a messy bun.

The silky little black dressed fell loosely from her hips to just above her knees. The V-neck swooped down low, revealing more cleavage than he would've wanted anyone else to see. He knew better than to say anything, though.

She slipped the pumps on and stood in front of him.

"How do Ah look?"

"Don't think I'm the right person to ask, darlin. I always think you look beautiful."

"How sweet. Sure you don't want to come down with me?"

"I think I'll pass." He turned his attention back to the t.v., slipping one of his cigars out of his stash in the table next to the bed.

She sauntered over and snatched it from him, leaning in to place a quick kiss on his lips.

She could feel him glaring at her back as she went.

"Thought you said you were going to stick to cigarettes. More girly or something."

"They just weren't as good, and they didn't remind me of you. If Ah wanted to be more girly Ah'd quit altogether." And with that she was gone.

* * *

"Roguey!"

Marie was sitting in the garden, staring off into the trees, trying to get away from the talk of wedding plans, and to forget about the fact that she hadn't really been with her mate – husband, she reminded herself, people gave her the weirdest looks when she said 'mate' – in two and a half months.

She was counting down the days now, just like she knew he was.

"Hey."

Jubilee bounced up, looking excited. More than excited. Overjoyed.

"I have news for you. Big news. Great news! EEEE!" She let out a squeal and Marie winced before standing up.

"Jubes, just tell…" It hit her a few seconds later. She'd known something was off about her friend for days now. "Ah knew Ah could smell… Oh. Oh my Gawd! Yah're pregnant!" And she found herself letting out a little squeal of her own.

Jubilee nodded and Marie pulled her into a hug.

"Thank goodness Hank came a few days ago, I went down because I wasn't feeling well, and surprise!" Jubilee giggled.

"Did you tell the Swamp Rat yet? Ah would've loved to see his face…"

"Oh, yeah, Remy knows, he was with me when I found out! The look on his face was priceless, believe me!" She seemed to relax a bit. "This is just so amazing. I'm going to be a mother."

Marie watched Jubilee bring a hand up to cup her stomach almost reverently, and as she did she began to think of something that she had never come close to thinking of before.

Marie began to think of what it would be like to be a mother.

* * *

"What can I do for you, Rogue?" Hank McCoy rumbled in his deep baritone as Marie entered the med lab.

"Ah was just wonderin if you could tell me…"

"Feel free to ask whatever you need to, please. It'll stay between you and me if you want it to."

"Ah was just wonderin if, with all the strange stuff that's happened with my body, especially Logan's healing…do you think...it would…somehow hurt my chances of having a baby?"

He seemed a bit surprised by the question.

"I haven't had many chances to deal with a mutation like this healing factor." His tone had turned more gentle. "But from what little experience I do have, having a baby should not be a problem. I could be more certain, perhaps, if you'd allow me to run some tests…"

* * *

"Really, Jubes?"

"Yes really, why not really? You never got one the first time around."

"That's because my entire life for those few months practically _was _one."

"Well, we're doing this anyways, and you're going to have fun darn it."

"Are you _ordering_ me to have fun?" Rogue actually laughed at this.

"Yes, yes I am. Now go on, get dressed so we can leave."

Marie did as she was told if only so that she didn't wind up with a pregnant and far-more-temperamental-than-usual Jubilee getting annoyed with her.

Why did Jubilee want to take Marie out to a bar anyways? She couldn't drink period, Marie couldn't really get drunk, Ororo – who had insisted on tagging along too – would probably find something to complain about. The only one who Marie thought might be able to have some fun along with her was Kitty.

What a pathetic list of friends that made for.

She threw on a tank top and a mini skirt and, just because Jubilee would complain otherwise, she also threw on a pair of high heeled boots. A little bit of makeup and she was ready to go.

* * *

It wasn't just a bar, it was a dance club. Dimly lit, loud music, her favorite whiskey. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

Not so bad, at least, until a guy came out onto the stage at the front of the club and Jubilee shoved her into a chair and told her enjoy the show.

Oh, Marie was definitely going to kill her for this one, even if she was pregnant. How long had it been now? Almost four months and Jubilee decides to set her in front of a guy that was almost (_almost, _but not quite) as hot as Logan…

But as she stared at the man up on stage all she could think about was her untamable Wolverine and how no body, and certainly not the tall and thin man up on stage, could possibly come close to measuring up.

* * *

She had no idea that Logan, accompanied by Hank, Bobby, Chase (against his better judgment), and Remy was being given a similar treatment.

He was thinking pretty much the same thing too, that he'd have to kill whoever had come up with this.

And as he watched the woman up on stage, all he could think about was his wild and feisty Marie and how much sexier her well-tone dark haired body was compared to the little blonde waif in front of him.

* * *

"Well, where is he?" Marie bunched up the skirts of her dress in her hands, pacing back and forth in that way that Jubilee always said made her look a little like a caged animal.

"We don't know any more than you do." Kitty was keeping her distance.

"He should be back already!"

"Well he isn't, and you have got to stop pacing like that! If you get too warm you'll ruin your makeup." Jubilee scolded, not half as shy around Marie as Kitty.

Marie stopped, smoothed out her dress, took a deep breath.

"Sorry."

"Besides, you said it yourself you're already married, it's not like he can run away." Kitty tried to console her.

"Ah know, but he was on a mission, and he said he'd be back last night."

"I know, you drank so many beers trying to calm yourself you'd've thought they were water bottles, remember? Maybe _that's _why you're in such a mood today. Shouldn't drink the night before your wedding, any one will tell you that." Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"No, Ah feel fine, just a little nervous."

"Well, cut it out, you've got nothing to be nervous about."

"Sorry." Marie repeated. "Just feels different this time. Last time we put down my last name on the papers because we didn't know his. Now ever since he called me the other day, telling me we should change them..."

"I'd be excited if I were you. He remembered something. I mean, he _really remembered_ something." Kitty spoke up again.

"That's what Ah'm worried about, though."

"What?" Jubilee looked confused, but Marie was out of time to explain. The music finally began playing. She peered out the door of the mansion, where the white cloth that made up the aisle was rolled out of. Logan was just there suddenly, looking sharp in his tux. He saw her and caught her eye, giving her a smile. She gave him a small smile back.

She watched as Kitty made her way down the aisle with Bobby, then Jubilee (her maid of honor) went down with Remy. Then she sent her nine year old flower girl, a pretty little blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Jessica, down to do her job.

Then it was her turn. It was maybe a little strange to some – she had no one to walk her down the aisle.

But then, she hadn't belonged to anyone else before Logan, hadn't really felt the need to, and was proud of that fact.

Strange _was_ normal for them.

The rest was a bit of a blur. The ceremony went just like any other normal wedding would have.

Right down to the words 'I do'.

"…Mister and Missus Logan Howlett…"

Everyone cheered.

* * *

The reception was fun, but they were both more than anxious to move on already. Storm had offered to take them up to his cabin in Alberta – the same one they'd stayed in the first time they had done this – in the jet.

"The quicker you get there, the better, I'm sure." And she'd had a rather smug look on her face as she'd said it, too.

She'd been absolutely right, so they'd accepted her offer, but that meant they had to stick around for a while. So they both did their best to play nice. They danced. They ate, which wasn't so bad, the food was good. They danced some more. They opened a present or two. Marie went up to change after a while, saying there was no way she was going to let him destroy a dress as expensive as hers was. And then finally, mercifully, Storm said she'd take them.

The ride was short considering how far they had to go, but not short enough. They were both about ready to explode.

"Where'd the truck come from? You know what, never mind. I won't keep you two. You have everything?"

"Ah think we're good. Thanks." Marie tried not to sound too snappy. Storm hadn't done anything wrong, after all.

"I hope you two have _fun_. Just remember I'll be back in a month…"

"We got it!" Logan snapped, not even bothering to be nice anymore.

Ororo chuckled.

"Right. I'm leaving then." She turned and did just that. The jet took off a few minutes later.

They heard it, but didn't see it. They were already in the bedroom, and it was cold since no one had been there, but neither of them noticed, or would have cared if they had.

Their clothes quickly wound up in little heaps on the floor, mostly shredded, and Marie would later be very glad she'd taken the time to get out of her dress.

Wild animals, indeed.

* * *

_**I posted a link to the dress Marie wears on the very bottom of my profile. Try to imagine that in black. :D**_

_**Reviews are much appreciated, as always. **_


	6. Oh Baby, Baby

It all started because of one little accident.

Marie was rushing out of her classroom, splattered in paint thanks to a student who could control water (or anything liquid, really), making her way to the nearest bathroom so she could wash off without being stared at by her students. Chase just happened to be coming down the hallway at the very wrong moment. They collided.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you, that was my fault! Are you alright?"

He held out a hand to help her up, and as usual his attempts at being at gentlemen annoyed her more than anything else. She ignored him, standing on her own.

"Yeah, wonderful, just peachy, all splattered with paint and…and…" She was looking down at the papers he'd been carrying, now spread out on the floor around them. "Did you do all these?" She stooped down to pick up some of the papers by her feet, beautiful sketches that covered a wide variety of subjects. There was a tree branch with a bird in a nest; flowers from the mansion's garden; a young couple sitting on a bench on what could've been a city sidewalk, the girl with her head on the boys shoulder; a picture of a shop window from down town in some city, dresses and shoes on display.

The one that really caught her attention, though, was the picture of a woman, dark haired with light streaks on either side, sitting in the same garden he'd also sketched on its own. She was sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, staring off into the trees.

"When did you draw this?"

He blushed deeply, looking both embarrassed and more than a little nervous. He always got nervous around her if there was no one else around. No one could blame him considering the way they'd first met.

"Months ago. It's just a hobby. Just for fun. Nobody ever sees these, really. I know I should probably ask before…"

"It would've been nice if Ah'd known, but it's alright. These are…wow. Incredible."

"I did two others of you, one was by the pool. I-if you want to see that one…" He began gathering up the papers that were still on the floor, handing one up to her after a moment. "Again, I know I should've asked, I don't mean anything by it, really, I don't even think of what I'm drawing sometimes, I just kind of start and whatever I see in front of me winds up on the paper."

She looked down at the drawing. It showed her, lying in a chair by the pool, drying off after a swim probably. She was wearing the polka dot bikini Logan loved so much. Chase had drawn her looking very innocent, in the eyes and in the soft curves of her body. There was nothing suggestive about the drawing.

She was flattered, actually.

"Do you want me to throw the ones of you away? I can – "

"Chase, shut up. Don't you dare throw these away." She handed the drawings back to him. "Ah'm not angry, except maybe over the fact that you've been holding out on us. You do realize Ah'm teachin an art class, right?"

His cheeks turned red like a tomato.

"Yes, I know. You really think they're good?"

"Yes, Ah do. And Ah consider it an honor that such a serious artist would want to draw me. Let me know if you want to do any more."

"Oh, I will, that would be great, in fact." His blush deepened.

"Just let me know when. Right now I need to go clean this paint off…" She trailed off with a chuckle as she turned around and resumed her original quest for the bathroom.

"Ok. Yeah. Great! Wait, what about Logan!"

She turned back around, one eye brow raised.

"What about him, peaches?"

"Well, you're his wife, wouldn't he, maybe not like the idea of me…" He trailed off as the look she was giving him somehow became a lot less innocent, her eyes narrowing a little, her lips becoming a thin line. "Never mind. See you, Rogue."

"Yeah. See yah."

* * *

"Where's she sending you this time?"

Marie had been sitting in her and Logan's room, working on things for her art class, a hockey game playing softly in the background. He'd walked in looking a little ticked off and had taken a bag out of the closet, starting to pack it with things as if he were going on a trip.

"New Mexico to begin with, but after that, no clue. Apparently this chick's got issues with staying put for more than a few days."

Marie stared at him.

"You don't want to go?"

He paused to look up at her.

"Not this time, no. I don't know why, but I've got this feeling… my instincts are telling me I need to stay with you. Actually, _telling _is putting it mildly."

"Tell Ororo that, then."

"I tried. She didn't get it like you do."

Of course she wouldn't. Marie had some feral in her. Ororo never did understand that kind of stuff.

"She says this woman she wants me to find is different than the others." He went on. "Says she wants to make sure we get a hold of her before the Brotherhood does."

"No one else is better at tracking people down than you are, it makes sense." She got up and positioned herself in front of him. "Relax."

She leaned in to place a kiss on his lips, and he rested his forehead on hers.

"But my guts telling me…what if you need me?"

"Ah can take care of myself, Logan. You know that."

He let out a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl.

"Yeah. I know. If anything goes wrong – I don't care if you somehow manage to get the damned _sniffles_ – tell me what's going on, Marie. Make me feel better."

"You got it, Sugah." She chuckled and gave him another kiss. "Now go on, get back to packin. Sooner yah get outta here, sooner yah can get all this over with."

What she neglected to tell him as she watched him pack and then walked him out, was that she had the same feeling.

* * *

"I kind of had idea. I'm not sure if you'll be ok with it, though." Chase seemed only a tad less nervous this time. He had a sketch pad in hand, along with a bag full of pencils and other supplies for sketching.

"Can't hurt to ask." Marie replied.

"Well, see, I've seen you in the Danger Room, with your claws, and I was wondering what you'd think of posing with them out."

She was a little taken aback at this. Everyone usually avoided acknowledging that she even _had_ her own set of claws; the fact that Chase wanted to _draw _them was more than a little strange.

She didn't answer immediately, and Chase seemed to mistake her silence for something other than surprise.

"If you don't want to, that's ok, I just think they're kind of – cool? – no, that's not the right word. It's just you look so fierce with them out. I thought it would make an interesting contrast to my other sketches of you."

"Ok, peaches, _relax_. Ah'm just surprised. Most people flinch away…" She took a breath and held up her hand, and he watched with a tentative gaze as her claws slowly slid out of her knuckles. They always looked so strange, she thought, with her feminine hands.

"Does… does that hurt?"

She bit back a chuckle, remembering her very first conversation with Logan.

"Every time. Ah'm just starting to get used to it; Ah've been practicing with them just about as much as with my other borrowed mutations."

"Can I touch them."

She shrugged and nodded. He reached out a hand tentatively and slid it along the long, sharp bone nearest to him.

"You really want to draw me with them out?"

"Yes, I really do. I think I know how I'll do it too. I'll have to bring a camera in to the Danger Room and get a few shots of you…"

* * *

Logan had been gone for only two days when Marie first woke up feeling, for the first time in a while, like she may have been getting sick. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that felt off. She just didn't feel well.

She knew he'd want to know about her feeling ill in any way, but decided not to call him. It was probably nothing.

* * *

Two more days passed and Marie was beginning to notice something odd – she felt _calmer_ than usual. The feral part of her mind, the part that let out little annoyed growls and seemed to enjoy snapping at people, was being strangely quiet. Almost as if it had willingly gone back into the little box she'd kept it in before the trouble with Logan had started.

She wasn't not sure what exactly to think of this, and so didn't tell anybody immediately.

* * *

Logan had been gone for a full week when it hit her.

She was out with Kitty, at her and Logan's favorite bar, though she couldn't quite remember why she'd wanted to go out. It was usually the little feral part of her brain that liked going to places like this, and it was still being very quiet.

"Can I ask you something?" Kitty asked, looking sheepish.

"Uhm, sure." Marie replied, and somehow the tone of Kitty's voice had her worried.

"What's it like to be married?"

"What's it… Ah'm not sure Ah'm the best person to ask that question. Me and Logan aren't exactly a normal couple. Maybe you should try asking Jubes."

"No, I want to hear it from you, because…" Kitty trailed off, still with that sheepish expression.

"Because why?"

"Because we all know what Logan's like. Or, what he _was_ like. I want to know how you managed to tame the Wolverine."

Marie stared blankly at her for several seconds before giggling softly.

"_Tame _him? You've got it all kinds of wrong. Ah brought him up just a few steps towards my level and then slid down the rest of the way to him. Ah never even wanted to tame him. Long as he's mine and only mine, Ah like him just the way he is." She paused, thought for a moment. "Why would you want to know that, though?"

"I think Bobby's cheating on me." Kitty spoke so softly that Marie wouldn't have heard it without Logan's hearing. "He's been disappearing when I'm busy with other things and coming back around at odd times…"

"Oh." Marie's tone was gentler now. "Ah'm sorry."

"I was going to ask Jubilee what she thought I should do, but she's got other things on her mind, with Remy and being pregnant."

"Ah don't know if what Ah did would work for you with Bobby, though."

"Do you think I should just confront him?"

Marie paused to think on that for a moment.

"Yes. Ah think you should. Next time he comes back. And Ah want to be there when you do it. Maybe Ah can tell if he's lying to you."

Kitty visibly relaxed a little.

"That would be great."

Marie ordered two shots of whiskey and slid one over to Kitty, who stared down at it.

"I really hope I'm wrong about Bobby. Seeing Jubilee, all happy and married and now she's going to be a mom… I kind of want that too."

That was when it hit her, as Kitty brought the small glass of brown liquid to her lips, making a face as it burned its way down her throat. The reason why Logan's instincts had told him to stay put. Why Marie's own instincts had told her he should, too. Why she'd been feeling kind of sick for the past week.

Well, shoot.

She set her glass down just seconds before it made it to her lips.

"Rogue?" Kitty asked.

"Ah need to get back to the mansion. And Ah need to stop at the drug store on the way. Or better yet, Ah'll just go see Hank."

She stood up and Kitty followed her out to her pickup, looking confused.

"I don't get it, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_. Actually, I think there's a whole lot that just might be _right_." And she took a moment to smile before starting up her truck and heading out.

* * *

"Incredible. You're saying you and Logan could tell _before_ now? If you had come to me a week ago I might not have even been able to tell you."

"Ah think the Wolverine could tell something was off, although Logan couldn't consciously tell what yet."

"It never ceases to amaze, just how well attuned his senses are. And yours as well!" Hank was excited, understandably. He paused for a moment, then went on in a calmer voice. "Forgive me, my dear. This is no time for me to be wondering at things that I'm sure you've grown quite used to. Does Logan know?"

"No, Ah didn't even realize it until today. Ah'm not sure Ah'll tell him until he gets back. If Ah tell him now he'll ignore what Ororo says and come back before he finds whoever she's got him looking for."

"He won't be happy if you keep it from him. But then, that's none of my business. You do what you feel is best. Now, as for the baby…"

"It's a good thing I wasn't really in the mood for drinking tonight."

"Perhaps that was due to these instincts of yours as well?

"Ah don't think so, actually. That part of my mind has been really quiet since Logan left."

"How strange. Does that happen every time he isn't around? Forgive me, if it's none of my business, just say so."

"It's alright. Ah don't have an answer to that, really. Ah haven't let him out of my sight since we finally got married."

"Interesting." Hank paused, then seemed to move on to another train of thought. "If you aren't planning to tell Logan, do you want this to stay between us?"

Marie thought on that for a moment. Logan would maybe be angry if she didn't call and tell him now, but he'd be both angry and wounded if he wasn't the first to know.

"You know, maybe that would be a good idea."

* * *

"Rogue! Do you have a minute? I have something to show you."

Chase caught her as she was making her way out of her classroom, holding a folder up in one hand.

"It's all the sketches I've done of you."

She took the folder and opened it, taking the sketches out one by one. The first was the one of her in the garden, then there was the one of her by the pool, another of her in her wedding dress. They all made her look sweet and pretty and innocent, just like most assumed she was at first glance.

Then came the new sketches of her wearing her X-Men uniform, in the danger room, from the pictures he'd taken a day after Logan left. One had her in a fighting stance with wisps of smoke around her, obviously having just used Kurt's mutation. Then came one of her using Bobby's powers, blowing a cold chill over a large piece of something that had come towards her. Then there was one of her with her claws out, facing off against the computers recreation of Mystique.

These had her looking a lot less innocent. He'd drawn her eyes to look dark and hard, her lips set in a thin line. Dark shadows outlined well-toned but still feminine muscles.

"Ah think you've exaggerated with these, just a little bit." She wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or what. For some reason, looking at the pictures from the 'just Marie' perspective she'd had over the past week…they almost frightened her a little.

"Not at all, I drew exactly what I saw."

"If you say so." She tore her eyes away from the one with her claws to look at him. "Either way, they're just as incredible as the others."

"Really? I'm glad you like them!"

"Now the question is, what do we do with them? Ah'm putting together an art show for some of the older students, and for anyone else who wants to show some art work really. You can add some of your stuff in."

His cheeks turned tomato red.

"I don't know about that. I'm not that good."

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you are. Ah'm definitely keepin these. You should look through your other sketches and see if you want to add in anythin else."

"Ok, I guess I could do that."

* * *

Marie and Kitty had never been that close before. There wasn't really a reason for it that Marie could pinpoint exactly, though it could have had something to do with the fact that they'd _both_ liked Bobby once upon a time. And then Marie had always gotten the impression that Kitty was afraid of her somehow, and it didn't bother her, because she had Jubilee, and that was all she felt she needed as far as regular friends went.

So, it probably looked a little odd to some when Marie shuffled into Kitty's room at around eight one night. Neither of them cared, though. Marie was there for a reason, that reason being one Bobby Drake. Kitty popped in a movie that neither of them really paid that much attention to, and they waited.

He came shuffling in at around nine thirty, looking surprised to see Marie sitting next to Kitty.

"Oh. Hey Rogue."

"He Bobby."

"Where've you been?" And Kitty tried to sound casual enough, and it seemed to work, because his expression didn't change.

"Nowhere. Here at the mansion. I was tutoring a student." And he kept glancing at Marie, looking puzzled.

"That's what you said last time when you disappeared around noon."

"She has a busy schedule. We can't always meet at the same times." And his eyes kept trailing back to Marie uncomfortably.

"What were you tutoring her in, then, huh?"

"Science and a little Math."

"What's the student's name?" This came from Marie, her voice calm and quiet, and he trained his eyes fully on her now.

"Danielle, what are you doing here, anyways?"

She eyed him for a moment before getting off the bed and walking towards him. He continued to look confused.

He didn't notice, couldn't have noticed, the fact that she was inhaling deeply, checking out his scent. He smelled nervous – with a hint of perfume in there somewhere. Not strong, but certainly not _normal_ for a guy.

Kitty didn't wear perfume that Marie knew of, unless she was all dressed up.

Marie's expression didn't change as she turned back to Kitty.

"Did you get a new perfume? Ah could swear Ah smell something rather _expensive_ in here." She locked eyes with Kitty, who easily got what she was saying. "Ah'm sure you two have loads to talk about, Ah'd better head off to bed." She turned back to Bobby, her emotions stuck somewhere between anger at him and pity for whatever Kitty would do about it. "Sleep well, peaches." She told him, and with that she left.

* * *

Rogue woke up that night from a strange dream, fortunately one that was forgotten the moment she awoke, with her mouth so dry it felt like sandpaper. She got out of bed, shuffled down stairs, and headed for the kitchen for some water, passing the rec room on her way.

The t.v. was on, muted. She walked in out of curiosity, and had to bite her tongue to keep from chuckling out loud.

Bobby was lying on the couch, looking quite uncomfortable in a very fitful sleep.

* * *

She'd heard it from Jubilee, how horrible the morning sickness could be. She'd been expecting for it to start up with her at any time. When another week passed, though, and the overall ill feeling stuck around but didn't worsen any, she decided to go down and see Hank again.

"I'm sure it's nothing to _worry _about per se. It is odd for a woman not to experience some morning sickness during the first months, but not unheard of."

"It doesn't mean something's wrong if it doesn't happen, does it?" She wasn't sure why she was so worried; nothing about her was normal in any way, shape, or form. Why should she have expected this to be any different?

Hank heaved a sigh.

"You really must stop thinking that something will go _wrong_. The only way to really hurt the baby right now would be to put too much stress on yourself. The abilities you've gotten from Logan are probably helping immensely. You should be grateful that you won't have to worry about when next you're going to feel like replacing whatever your last meal was."

She bites her lip, takes a deep breath, nods.

"Ah know, you're right."

"Just try to take it easy, ok?"

She nods again. He offers her a hand, and she takes it as she slides down from the table.

"Now, you are only three weeks along right now. It'll be a little more than two weeks before I can do an ultrasound that will produce a heartbeat."

She paused just before reaching the door, turning back to him.

"Logan's still trying to catch up with this woman Storm's got him tracking… I hope he'll be back before then."

* * *

_**And I'm leaving it there, because I can. Reviews are much appreciated, as always; I'd love to hear your ideas of why Marie's 'inner Wolverine' has suddenly gone into hiding. :D**_


	7. The Big News and The New Girl

"Logan… can Ah ask you something? Something serious."

"_Serious? Four more days, tops, and I'll be back. Can't it wait 'til then?" _

"No. I mean, it _could_ I guess, but it's just…"

Something in Marie's tone must have gotten to him; he knew her well.

"_Alright, sure, just hang on a minute." _He either covered the phone, or pulled it away, perhaps both. The next part of his conversation was muffled. _"I'm heading out to take this... better behave, or else… why do you care?" _He growled at whoever he was talking to. _"It's my wife, and none of your business, so just eat your pancakes, kid." _She giggled a little at the last part. She wondered how young the woman even really had to be for Logan to deem her 'kid'. It didn't take much for him to dub someone that anymore, not since a few more of his memories had surfaced. A few more moments passed before he spoke to her again. _"Alright, I'm listening, Darlin."_

She took a deep breath.

"Well, see, Ah've been thinking lately…"

"_Oh boy." _He cut in, teasing.

"Oh, shut up. Ah'm being serious. Ah've been thinking and Ah was wondering what your thoughts are on, well, maybe…maybe having a baby."

Silence. All she could hear on the other end was the slight breeze creating a static sound and a few cars passing by, telling her that he was outside.

"Logan? You still there? Please say something."

"_Yeah."_ He heaved a sigh, the hesitant tone to his voice unfamiliar to her. "_I'm still here. Is, ah, there any particular reason why you had to ask me this now?"_

"Ah just want an answer, that's all. Had some time to think here on my own, so Ah got to wonderin."

"_Is it just 'cause of Yellow?_ _It is, ain't it?"_

She didn't respond immediately, so he kept going, the hesitant tone to his voice being replaced by a gruff edge.

"_Look, Marie, Jubes and Remy… I mean, you know things are a little different with us."_

She grimaced to spite the fact that he couldn't see her.

"What do you mean a little different?"

"_Having a kid would mean, I don't know, _settling_, wouldn't it? No going out. No… oh, I don't even know. No more road trips. I know you wanted to head up to Alaska next time."_

"Would that be so bad, though? I think it would be worth giving up a few things."

"_I just… you know what Hank said about my healing – _our _healing factors. We got plenty of time here, Marie. Right now… do you really think either of us would make the best _parents_?"_

For some reason, that really hit a nerve.

"Funny thing, Logan, up until yah said that Ah was pretty sure yah would make a great daddy. Thought maybe you'd be willin to _settle_ a little for me by now. Guess Ah was wrong."

"_Now, Darlin, wait just a minute, don't go getting the wrong idea…"_

"Wrong idea? You just told me flat out that you don't want kids."

"_I never said I _didn't_ want..." _Desperation seeped into his voice, probably because he could hear how upset she was getting. _"We've got a good thing going, just the two of us. Why'd you have to bring this up _now_?"_

"Nothin." She snapped, and she could feel hot, angry tears building up. _Tears? _She wasn't usually one to cry much. "No reason. Just forget it. Bye, Logan."

"_Don't_…"

She hung up even as she could hear him yelling for her not to.

The tears spilled over, and she caught one on her finger as it slid slowly down her cheek.

Yeah, Marie, she thought to herself sulkily, that's called hormones. Mood swings. Whether Logan was ready or not, she was pregnant.

She was starting to get the feeling this wouldn't end quite as well as she'd first hoped.

* * *

More than a thousand miles away, sitting outside a plain little diner off a dusty road in the middle of Oklahoma of all places, saddled with the task of bringing a feisty mutant kid back because Ororo would be angry if he didn't, Logan's mood was worsening by the minute.

He was tempted to forget the kid. God forbid Ororo Munroe should _not_ get what she wanted for once. He was more worried about Marie and where he'd be sleeping when he finally did get back.

Something about the tone of Marie's voice had him on edge. Why would she get so upset over something that they could just as easily address later on, face to face? Why ask him right then? It didn't make sense unless…

His eyes widened as the Wolverine started pacing restlessly in its cage in his mind. He needed to get back to Marie. He needed to get back to his mate, _now_.

He resisted the sudden urge to throw the phone on the ground and then stomp on it; Ororo wouldn't be happy if he did that, either.

He stalked back into the diner and over to the young woman sitting in the booth far off in the corner. She sensed something was off, could probably smell his rage, and stood up to meet him. She was a tiny thing all around, short and small boned, but also curvy. She was also, he knew from recent experience, tough as nails for being so young. Well-toned muscles rippled beneath any visible skin when she moved. She easily exuded the same 'back off' vibe that he, and any mutant like them, tended to give off.

It was strange that her mutation was only just now developing. Hank would have a field day with her, poor kid.

"Come on, kid, we're leaving." He told her gruffly.

"Will you stop callin me kid? Mah names Kris. And yah didn't even eat."

"Not real hungry anymore." He pulled out some cash and threw a few bills onto the table, probably more than was needed, but he figured the poor, sweet little blond who'd been serving them deserved it for all the comments Kris had thrown at her.

"Well, where we headin next then? You been drivin since this mornin. Unless yah wanna give me a go…"

"There's no way I'm putting you behind the wheel of my truck. Get in."

She gave him a growl that would have been frightening to anyone that wasn't him, but got in the truck anyways.

He took out a cigar and lit it before pulling out onto the road again. She glared.

"You got one of those things lit practically twenty-four seven, and yah won't buy me some cigarettes. It ain't fair."

"You're sixteen."

"What does it matter how old Ah am? Ah just got shot a few days ago and somehow didn't die, remember that? Ain't like the smokes are gonna hurt me more than a bullet apparently _can't_."

"You're too young to be needing things like cigarettes, kid. Start with stuff like that now and it just gets worse from there."

"You aren't mah daddy." She growled at him again, crossing her arms.

"Just drop it." He growled back. She was silent for a moment, startled, although she tried not to look it.

"Sorry. Damn. Who put you in a mood? Yah wife?"

Logan clenched his jaw and didn't answer. This was going to be the longest trip he ever took.

* * *

Logan was going to be back in about six hours, and Marie was a big bundle of nerves. She suddenly had more energy than she'd had in weeks. She couldn't sit still.

She cleaned her and Logan's room, which was probably a good thing; it had needed it. She finished up on a painting she'd been working on, a beautiful view of the mansion and the grounds surrounding it. She even cooked dinner for everyone that night – a responsibility shared by all the teachers that she usually avoided.

"Roguey, what is with you? You're being all quiet and sulky. Logan's going to be back, isn't he? You should be all smiles!" Jubilee chased after Marie when dinner was finished. She was headed down the hallway towards her room.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? Come on, Remy's downstairs." Jubilee pulled her into her and Remy's room.

"We had a fight that's all. Well, sort of. Not really much of a fight, Ah guess. Ah got upset. Ah'm just afraid Ah made him angry."

"I think you're about the only person on this planet he _won't_ get angry at." Jubilee sat down on her bed, one hand coming up to rest on her almost-six-months-pregnant belly.

"Ah wouldn't be so sure. Ah think Ah might've pushed the limit this time."

Jubilee looked like she wasn't quite sure how to answer. A moment passed and Marie turned towards the window nervously when she heard the distinct roar of Logan's truck.

"He's coming now, isn't he? Guess you'll find out soon."

Marie darted out of the room.

* * *

"That's a school?" Kris asked, looking awed as they came up on the mansion.

"Yep."

"And yah are sayin the lady who runs this place… she wants _me_?"

"She sent me all the way down there with some pretty specific instructions. Yeah, she wants you."

He parked the car inside the mansions garage and he got out. She followed suit much more hesitantly, grabbing her bag and looking around in wonderment at all the cars and other vehicles around. She stopped him just before they got to the door, and he turned to look at her. She looked confused and scared and he was suddenly reminded of just how young she was.

"Ah grew up on a farm. A-and Ah nearly killed mah daddy a few weeks ago, and to top that off Ah got shot and Ah'm not dead and Ah know Ah said Ah'd come with yah 'cause yah got me out of there but… that was before yah told me yah were takin me to some kind of boardin school for rich folks."

Logan didn't interrupt, just let her talk, figuring that it was better for her to get it all out now.

"Look, ki- Kris. I'm not stupid enough say I know exactly how you feel, but I think I have an idea. You feel horrible about your father. I know you must be all mixed up about not being dead. And you're probably wondering what kind of monster you're turning into." She stared downwards, not looking at him, and he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Trust me. Looks are deceiving. We can help you." She still looked wary and extremely hesitant. He took a breath, knowing what he really needed to do. They'd been traveling together for almost a week. She'd already displayed a certain trust in him just by coming. "I can help you. At least, I'll try."

Bingo. That got her attention. She looked up at him.

"Ah wasn't expectin yah to care beyond bringin me here, yah don't have to say that."

"I know." He replied gently.

"Well. Okay then."

"Now." He said with a gruffer edge to his voice. "Can we go inside already? It's cold out here and I've kept my wife waiting long enough as it is."

She laughed and rolled her eyes as he opened the door and gestured for her to go on ahead. She walked in, looking around with something that he could only describe as a 'deer in the headlights' expression, stopping just before the rec room, staring in at the comfortable couches and large television set up.

He got the feeling the t.v. alone was nicer than anything she'd had back home, where ever home was for her. She hadn't actually told him that yet.

Ororo appeared to have been waiting for them – she came up just as they walked in.

"Logan, welcome home!" She gave him a hug before turning to Kris.

"Right, this is…" Logan turned to the girl.

"Kristine O'Connell, ma'am." Kris spoke for herself. "B-but I prefer Kris." She added quickly.

"Alright, Kris it is then. Why don't we head to my office so we can talk in private?"

Kris glanced at Logan as if she needed his permission.

"I'll come check up on you later, alright kid?"

She nodded and headed off with Ororo.

Marie wasn't in the mansion. Her scent wasn't quite strong enough. He went up and put his bag down in their room – their spotless room, did Marie get bored or something? – and then headed outside, knowing exactly where'd she'd be. He hoped, rather desperately, that she wouldn't be mad at him. He'd had a little time to think about what she'd said.

The thought of having a baby had never occurred to him before, and although he really wasn't sure of whether he'd be so good at being a father... the idea also excited him in a way he couldn't remember ever being excited before.

"Marie? What are you doing out here in the cold?"

She was sitting out near the trees where the garden was, though the trees were bare and the garden's plants dead since it was winter.

"It's supposed to snow." She shrugged. She was bundled up tight in jeans, boots, and a fur lined leather jacket she'd just bought. "Thought Ah'd come out here and watch."

He sat down next to her.

"Listen, about what I said a few days ago… I just wasn't expecting… I mean, you caught me…" He started over a few times, trying to find the right thing to say. Marie chuckled, sounding a bit incredulous.

"Logan, shut up. You sound ridiculous when you get nervous. Ah should be sorry for getting upset over it."

He put and arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. She seemed to hesitate before leaning in, but then she turned to him, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling up to him.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply the wonderful sweet scent that belonged to her and only her – but there was something else. Something strange, though not at all bad.

The Wolverine howled in his head with a sudden sense of joy, the apprehension he'd felt melting away at the realization that it wasn't just an idea.

He pulled back to look at Marie.

"Crazy girl! I knew it! You should've just told me!" And he was grinning, a big, goofy, genuine grin that he just couldn't help.

She looked shocked.

"What, you mean…you're not upset? B-but Ah thought…"

"You took me by surprise, that's all. I mean, a baby…" He stood up, took her hands and pulled her up too, and she put her arms around his neck. He kissed her fiercely before picking her up, cradling her in his arms, and spinning around in a circle.

All she could do was grin and kiss back. Relief and excitement washed over her in strong waves. She was sure she'd never seen Logan this happy, except maybe when they got married. She almost couldn't believe it.

* * *

Inside the mansion things were just beginning to settle down for the night. Ororo was taking Kris to her room so she could meet her roommate and get settled; Jubilee and Remy were sharing a sweet little kiss as she slipped in to bed early; Hank had just made it back to his own room for the night.

A strange sound tore through the grounds and was easily heard by everyone in the mansion itself. Most of them wouldn't have recognized the almost wolf-like howl as being human at all. It would have been alarming if not for the strange sense that one got along with it; the sense that whatever made the sound was happy, overjoyed even.

Hank smiled to himself as he settled down for the night with a book to read. It sounded like Marie had just told a certain somebody the good news; the howl was that of a very happy Wolverine.

* * *

_**Sorry this is a shorter chapter. Reviews are great motivation; give me a few and I might update faster. :D **_

_**I try to give the characters I create meaningful names. The last name O'Connell means 'strong as a wolf'. **_


	8. Of Cheaters and Flaming Motorcycles

"How long?" Logan's rough voice cut through the silence in their room.

"About five weeks. Ah found out about a week after you left."

They were lying comfortably in bed together, on their sides. Marie was facing away from him and he had an arm draped over her still tiny waist, his hand rubbing gentle circles on her stomach.

"You could've just told me then. Spared yourself all that worrying."

"Ah know, Ah just didn't want you worrying about me."

"I worry about you whether I got a reason to or not." He chuckled softly. "You're my mate; if I'm _not _worried, you should be."

She chuckled back and turned onto her back to look at him.

"You can be just so sweet sometimes."

"Yeah, well, you're pregnant now, so I figure it's probably in my best interest to stay on your good side."

She giggled. He propped himself up on his arm and leaned down to kiss her lips, then trailed kisses down to her stomach. She watched him, snaking a hand down to run it through his soft, dark hair.

"We should probably get up you know." She said after a moment, noticing how bright the light streaming in through their window was getting.

He heaved a sigh and looked up at her with an adorable, and rather comical, pout that he would only ever give to her.

"I say we just stay here. You could be all mine all day. Everyone else can stick it up their you-know-what's if they got a problem with it. It's Saturday anyways."

"Mmmm, I wouldn't mind that either, 'cept you might have to get breakfast here soon. Mornin sickness certainly hasn't been a problem with me."

"I was wondering about that. Knew my healing would come in handy for something." He placed another quick kiss on her lips before sliding out of bed. "I wanted to check up on the kid anyways. She was kind of on edge when we got in last night and I promised I'd be around."

"Oh, right. What'd you say her name was? Kristy?" Marie sat up and snatched the nearest clothing item off the floor, which just happened to be the t-shirt Logan had been wearing the night before. She slipped it on.

"Kristine. She goes by Kris."

"And you found her in New Mexico?"

"Yeah, after chasing her down through Texas and up through Oklahoma. Only way I managed to keep track of her was because she was on foot and people talk."

"On foot? So she was a run away?"

"Yeah, but you'd never believe what she was running from… or maybe you would, once you meet her. Which you will soon, and explaining this is none of my business, I'll leave that up to her. How about eggs for breakfast? Eggs and toast, I know that's your favorite."

"Sounds great. And some apple juice, a big glass of apple juice."

"Apple juice? Who the hell drinks apple juice?"

"Ah do as of about a week ago. Seriously can't get enough of the stuff. Does that count as a weird craving?"

He let out a bark of a laugh as he headed for the door.

"Can't recall ever being around a pregnant woman long enough to know what does. Sounds weird enough to me, though. Apple juice it is, then." And he slipped out the door.

* * *

He went to the room Ororo told him she'd given the kid, but didn't even bother knocking. He could tell no one was in their; they'd probably just left. He didn't know where else to look, but had a feeling he'd bump into her at some point, and so made his way down to the kitchen to get Marie her eggs and apple juice.

Apple juice. The thought of his wild little whiskey girl drinking apple juice, even though she was pregnant, made him chuckle.

He was right about seeing Kris. She was in the kitchen with the girl who he assumed to be her roommate; a tall and awkward girl with natural blond hair. He didn't know much about her, except that everyone called her Lizzie.

Kris smiled when she saw him. She and Lizzie were sitting right next to each other, eating cereal.

"Mornin, Logan." She said.

"Hey kid. How are you doing?"

"Ah'm alright. This place ain't as bad as Ah thought it'd be. So far, anyways."

A boy came into the room, accompanied by two giggling girls, and – obviously trying to impress his audience – opened one of the cabinets using a telepathic mutation. A glass came floating out and across the room.

Kris stared in wonder – until the glass hit her in the head, at which time she narrowed her eyes at the boy and growled.

Logan raised an eyebrow at the trio still standing in the door way.

"Ey, jailbaits one and two, how about we pull the shirts up and the shorts down." He gestured towards the girls, who blushed deeply and scrambled to cover up a little better. "Tyler." He turned his gaze on the boy. "You break that glass and you're cleaning up the mess. Now, apologize to the lady and you can go get your glass the same way the rest of us got to."

"S-sorry." Tyler told Kris sheepishly.

"It's fie?" She replied, looking a bit bewildered, and it sounded half a question.

"Welcome to Mutant High." Lizzie laughed next to her.

"Where you're only a freak if you happen to be normal." Logan added as he took some eggs out of the refrigerator. "You'll fit right in around here, kid."

* * *

Logan had been right about Hank. The furry blue mutant quickly became the bane of Kris's existence. There were so many things he wanted to check out about her, and since the fear of being poked and prodded like a lab rat had been one of the big reasons why she'd run away from home… well, she wasn't exactly a willing test subject.

Hank found out what he wanted to none the less, and it was alright in the end because he was able to answer some of the questions Kris had been wondering about anyways.

He wasn't exactly sure of why her mutation had only just now manifested itself, but his best theory involved the idea that she hadn't needed it before. The town she'd lived in had been very small and far removed from the rest of the world; her life had been quiet and simple. Why would she have needed things like the strength she now had or heightened senses? She wouldn't tell exactly what had happened; Logan knew but said it wasn't his business to tell anyone else. And anyways, Hank's interests were geared more towards her mutation itself.

It bore striking resemblances to Logan's.

The most striking and noticeable parts of her mutation, though, were her eyes, her incredible green eyes – that turned a golden yellow whenever she got angry.

"Forget mutant." She'd said at one point, staring in the mirror at herself after an annoyed outburst, long sharp 'fangs' peeking out beneath her lips. "Ah got turned into a freakin werewolf."

Whatever she wanted to call it, one thing was for certain: Logan wasn't quite as one of a kind as everyone had first thought.

* * *

Marie wasn't sure of exactly when it changed. She thought, maybe, that it was around the time that Logan got taken, after she' d gone crazy on all those guards. Whatever the case was, Marie had started thinking of herself as, very distinctly, two different people.

The more wild part of her mind, although it was mainly made up of Logan's strangeness, had a few other bits and pieces mixed in there too. There was a little bit of Magneto, always in control and planning ahead. There was a little bit of Pyro, more sarcastic and cynical. Thankfully she hadn't touched any others – like Bobby, or Kurt – long enough for their traits to stick around at all.

Put the first three together, and what you got was Rogue.

Rogue had been awful silent ever since Marie had realized she was pregnant, which made sense when she thought about it. There were a lot of things that Rogue liked and did that Marie needed to stay away from now that she had to think of more than just herself.

Rogue was still there, though, and she liked to remind Marie of that every now and then.

The incident with Bobby and Emma Frost, who came in a few days after Logan got back with Kris, was a perfect example of this.

They were in a class room of all places – the one where Bobby taught Math – and Marie had just been walking down the hallway after working on some things in her own classroom. She'd done a double take of his class room. Not only could she hear them, but she could _smell_ their arousal, which was even worst.

Kitty had taken Bobby back, very hesitantly and very, _very_ warily, and only because Bobby had begged and pleaded and then begged some more. He'd also promised, fifty times over, that he wouldn't do it again.

"Bobby!" Marie growled as she threw the class room door open, and they were both idiots for not locking it anyways.

Emma let out a surprised scream. Bobby was holding her up against the wall, and she had her legs around his waist.

They were both without tops.

"Rogue?" Bobby dropped Emma, startled, and she landed hard on the floor.

"Hey!" She yelled, glaring up at him and scrambling to her feet.

"Ok, that is _not_ something Ah ever want to see. Ever. Again. Ah think Ah'm scarred for life now. In the _classroom_? Really, Bobby? What are yah'll, sixteen?"

"What are you even doing here, Rogue?" He picked up and put on his white t-shirt, then picked up the white, collared button down he'd been wearing. Emma snatched it from him before he could start putting it on, slipping it on herself and scrambling to button the necessary buttons.

"Ah've been in my room for the last hour grading some paintings like a good little teacher. Ah wonder if Kitty has any idea what _you've_ been doin."

He narrowed his eyes. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Who cares what that bitch thinks? She's the one who tried to make him wait for her until after he'd put a ring on it."

That hit a nerve.

"And what," Marie glared at Bobby as her eyes darkened, "Kitty's just not worth it? Emma, why don't you let me have a little talk with Bobby. Alone."

"Hey, it's none of your –"

"I wasn't askin, peaches! Out!" Rogue growled.

Emma beat a hasty retreat, still with Bobby's shirt on. He grimaced.

"B-but wait, I need my shirt –"

Forgetting for a moment the fact that she was pregnant and should be taking it easy, Rogue grabbed Bobby by the shirt he was wearing and slammed him against the wall.

"Listen you lyin, cheatin, good for nothin slime ball, Ah consider Kitty to be my friend, and Ah don't like it when stupid guys like you take hearts like hers and stomp all over it. So here's what yah're gonna do. Yah're gonna go up and find Kitty, and you're gonna tell her exactly what's been goin on, and when she tells yah to leave this time, yah ain't gonna argue, or pout, or beg. Yah're not even gonna bat an eyelash. Yah're just gonna pack up yah're stuff and leave. And yah are most certainly going to stay far away from Emma. Kay?"

"I-I… I mean, what makes you think I'll listen to you!"

"Because if Ah find out yah didn't," her claws slid out of her knuckles for the first time in weeks and she held them up to his neck, "Ah'm gonna gut yah the same as Ah did to all those guards when Ah saved Logan, only this time Ah won't be sorry. Not one bit. Got that, peaches?"

He swallowed, eyes wide, and nodded.

She let him go, backed away a bit, closed her eyes and took a breath as her claws went back into hiding. Opened them back up, and they were their natural brown color again.

"Well, go on." She said, much more calm now. "Ah'm sure Kitty's just dying to know where yah been anyways."

They could hear Kitty's tearful shouting all through the teacher's wing that night.

* * *

Two weeks, that's how long she made it. It was pretty impressive in retrospect.

He should've known it would happen eventually, though. She was a little smart-mouthed tomboy, and the other girls didn't always take too well to the really different ones.

"Did she really say that?"

"Yes, Logan, she really said that. She says it wasn't her fault. I'm not sure if I believe her. She has shown signs of a protective streak, though."

"Well, what happened anyways?"

"I think maybe it would be better if you asked her. She wouldn't dare lie to you." Ororo gestured towards her office. "She's in there. Enter if you dare."

He quirked and eyebrow and snorted at her before heading into her office.

Kris was sitting slouched in one of the office chairs, arms crossed, pouting in a way that was so typical of a teenager it would have been funny under different circumstances.

It took her a brief moment to notice him; she straightened up when she did, turning to him, her expression turning from angry to a bit sheepish.

"H-hi Logan. H-haven't seen yah in a few days…"

"I'm not really in the mood for small talk. You want to tell me what happened, or are you going to make me go back out there and ask 'Ro for the sugar coated version you gave her."

She dropped the sheepish expression in favor of the angry scowl he'd caught a glimpse of before.

"Ah didn't sugar coat anythin! They started it!"

"Come on kid, what are you, five?" He walked over to lean on the corner of Ororo's desk, in front of Kris, hands in pockets. "I asked what happened. Unlike 'Ro, I can tell if you're lying."

"You should've heard what they were saying!" She blurted. "I mean, calling Lizzie all those names. She was crying by the time I found her!"

He studied her for a moment.

"So somehow you thought calling them names would make it better?"

"Well, no, but…" She lost steam for a moment, then got it back full force. "It made Lizzie laugh, that was all Ah cared about anyways! It ain't my fault they got freaked after that, not like Ah hit one of them, though Ah shoulda."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Ok, so Ah might've been growlin too. But Ah can't help it when my eyes change. They were makin it seem like Ah did that on purpose or somethin."

"I know you can't. I'd say you should work on anger management," and somehow that sounded too sophisticated to be coming from him, even to his own ears, but the words just felt right, "but my track record ain't so great with that either, so I won't bother."

"Ah don't get what the big deal is, anyways. Stupid stuck up witches deserved it. Can't stand some of the kids 'round here. That one girl reminds of Regina from Mean Girls. Ah hated that movie."

"What? Never mind, I don't want to know." He held up a hand. "They probably did deserve it." He said frankly. "And the punishment she cooked up is dumb. But 'Ro's the one running this show, and believe me, arguing wouldn't be a good idea. Be a good little girl and do what she says. I'll get you out of here for a while on Saturday. Deal?"

Her dark green eyes lit up at the last part.

"Deal!"

* * *

"Saturday? Did it have to be Saturday?"

"Why not Saturday?"

"Ah like spending Saturdays with you. You promised to take me out someplace nice this weekend, remember?"

"Oh."

"Oh." She grimaced. "You forgot, didn't you."

"Yeah." The sheepish expression he took on looked ridiculous on him. "I did. I'm sorry, Marie. I'll take you out, I promise, it's just that the kid…"

"Is probably going stir crazy, Ah get it. She could probably use a little TLC. Sounds like your weird brand of it would be perfect for her. What are you going to do with her?"

"I was thinking I'd take her for a ride on that old bike I was fixing up."

Marie raised an eyebrow. He was usually very protective of his motorcycle. It had taken him several weeks' worth of cage matches to get the money he'd needed for it and all the parts to fix it up, so no one could blame him.

"What?"

"Nothin." She shook her head. "Hope you have fun is all. Oh, Saturday! Two weeks from now, my art shows on Saturday two weeks from now."

"Art show. Two weeks. Got it."

"You better not forget _that_." She said, her voice calm, but the threat behind it was implied.

"I won't. Promise."

* * *

"So what are you we doing?" Kris asked as Logan led her out to the mansion's garage.

"You ever been out on a bike before?"

"B-bike, what, as in motorcycle? No." She replied, as if the idea was ridiculous. He gave her a questioning look. "My parents are – were? – well, my mama would have a fit just to see me wearin jeans."

"Ah. Well, lucky for you, you ain't in Kansas anymore." He walked over to a rather large something hidden beneath a tarp.

"The Wizard of Oz. Ah been here two weeks now and Ah've made all kinds of movie references and you don't get any of them, except apparently the Wizard of Oz." She laughed. "Yah're all kinds of strange, yah know that old man?"

"Hey, watch it." He pointed at her and growled, but she could see a hint of amusement behind his hazel eyes. He turned back to the large whatever-it-was beneath the tarp and…

Her eyes widened as she sprinted forward. It was a motorcycle, all polished chrome and leather seating and flames painted on the front and back.

"Whoa!" She ran her hand along the leather seat. "You're going to take me for a ride on _this!_"

"Do you want to?"

"Hell yeah!"

He got on and gestured for her to do the same.

"Then hold on tight, kid."

* * *

Down in the med lab, Marie was laying propped into a sitting position on one of the medical beds, her shirt pulled up to reveal her small, but by now very visible, baby bump.

"You know," Hank was hesitating, "Logan really ought to be here for this."

"Ah know, Ah know. Ah'll surprise him with the results later, it won't be the end of the world." Marie replied calmly.

"If you say so." He sighed and brought the ultrasound thing – she had not a clue what any of this stuff was actually called – down to glide across her gelled stomach.

"I-is that the baby? So tiny…" She smiled in wonder, staring at the screen.

He didn't say anything for a long moment, and this worried her a bit.

"Hank? Is something wrong?"

"No. No, there's nothing wrong …" He stared at the screen a moment longer before turning back to her. "Nothing wrong at all." He broke into a smile. "In fact, I do believe congratulations are in order again…"

* * *

Logan was gone all afternoon, but it really didn't matter. By the time Marie would have gotten to wondering just where he was, she was in Ororo's office, on the wrong end of the older mutants disapproving look – yet again.

"You know, it has been quite a while now since I've complained about the way that you and Logan tend to handle things, and I really am sorry to have to say something about this now, but… Did you really have to threaten to _gut _him?"

Marie stared at her blankly for a long moment, trying to process exactly what she meant. And then it hit her and suddenly she was a little stuck on what her reaction should be. Rogue wanted to laugh. Marie felt a little ashamed.

Then Marie remembered the sound of Kitty's voice that night, and suddenly she didn't care anymore either. So, she let loose a little chuckle.

"Well, what else do yah do with jerks like him? Ah mean, it was partly Kitty's fault for trusting him again, but come on." A pause as Ororo just gave her a look. "Wait a minute, that was weeks ago, why are you asking about this now?"

"Because it's only just now been brought to my attention, by Emma Frost no less. She came in here earlier today – wearing his shirt – and demanded that I tell you that 'who Bobby screws is none of your business'. Actually, that would be sugar coating it."

Marie chuckled again, and she was having a harder time restraining herself now. That was just _too_ good.

"Ah hope you don't expect me to take it _back_."

Ororo sighed.

"No, I don't actually. Personally I think he deserves to be good and scared. In case anyone asks, though, you are to tell them that I told you to leave Bobby alone. That's only half the reason I wanted to talk to you. I'm worried about Kitty."

"Kitty?" Marie was a little surprised by this. She hadn't seen much of Kitty. No one had, as far as she knew, not since things had blown up with Bobby.

"No one's seen much of her at all for the past two weeks, and then yesterday she disappeared. No one has any idea where she ran off to. I thought, since you've had trouble with this sort of thing before…"

"Ah'm on it. Ah think Ah know where she is too."

"Well, if she's ever been crazy enough to take any cues from Jubilee – or, more likely, you – she's probably hauled up in a bar somewhere right now." Ororo grimaced. "If that's where you find her, send her straight to me when she gets back. I may have lost that battle with you, but I can still save her."

"Ouch. Am Ah really _that _horrible?" Marie stood and gave her a mocking solute as she began to feel genuinely annoyed. "Yes, ma'am." And she turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"And by the goddess, Rogue, try to keep in mind that you're pregnant and be _careful_."

Marie ignored her as she slammed the door a little too hard on her way out. It was times like this that she was reminded of why she had wanted to just run away with Logan and never come back.

She was beginning to wonder just who died and made Ororo Munroe God. The way she judged people sometimes, you'd think the woman honestly thought she was.

* * *

_**Not much to say about this one. Thanks for all the reviews I got last time, and the favorites and all that good stuff. :)**_


	9. Broken Hearts and Sleepless Nights

Marie shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around herself with gloved hands, and if ever she'd had a reason to hate winter, that reason would've been that she had to wear gloves.

Why didn't Logan bother to tell her that their truck's heater wasn't working? He would've known; he'd been driving it more than her, and where was he anyways? His motorcycle was still gone, and he'd taken Kris out hours ago, hadn't he? As cold as it was, the fact that they were still gone was a little worrying.

Focus, Marie, she huffed to herself, you've got other things to worry about right now.

She was headed for the bar she and Kitty had been in when they'd had their first conversation about Bobby and his no-good cheating ways. She wasn't entirely sure that Kitty would be there; after all, she hardly knew Kitty that well. It was worth a try though, she figured. Where else would one go after an explosive break up?

She pulled into the parking lot, and her fingers were numb to spite the gloves. She jogged to the small, cozy building she'd just parked in front of, and she knew that all that smoke in the air would no doubt be awful for her, being pregnant and all, but oh did it feel good to be _warm_.

She looked around and easily spotted Kitty because the other woman looked rather out of place with her cute little sweater and fur trimmed boots. Plus, there weren't that many others around.

The bartender, a rough looking older woman, recognized Marie and looked surprised as she approached the bar.

"Haven't seen you or your man out here in a while."

"Things have been busy. Not much going on here tonight." Marie commented, looking around at the few people scattered about the room. She kept her voice low; she didn't want Kitty to notice her just yet.

"Too cold out, even for most of my regulars." The woman responded. "You want your usual? Got some of the good stuff back here."

"No." Marie replied, a hand coming up to brush against her stomach. "That's not why Ah came here…" She pointed towards Kitty. "How long's she been here?"

The woman seemed to just know who Marie was talking about; she didn't bother turning to see who was being pointed at.

"Since around five. She was here last night too. Came right in, ordered a whiskey, told me to leave the bottle, and won't say another word."

"Wonderful." Marie grimaced.

"You get saddled with the job of dragging her home?"

"Yep."

"Fair warning, she's got to be more than halfway through that bottle, and she seemed like a lightweight to me." The bartender produced a set of keys from out of her pocket and handed them to Marie. "Their hers."

Marie stuffed her gloves in her pockets along with the keys and unzipped her coat as she made her way over to Kitty.

"Hey." Marie said quietly. Kitty didn't say anything. Marie sat down next to her anyways, tried to think of something else to say. Grabbed the whiskey bottle to inspect it. "If you're going to get drunk, it might as well be on the good booze. You could do better than this."

Kitty at least looked at her this time, but only long enough to snatch back the bottle.

"Y'sound like Logan again." She replied. "D'you do that on purpose?"

"No, actually, Ah think that's just what Ah get for marrying him. Where have you been for the past two days?"

"Staying far 'way from stupid Bobby and stupid Emma and everyone at the stupid mansion and their stupid big mouths. Are they… is he screwing her?"

Marie thought about lying, but figured Kitty would find out eventually.

"Yeah. Yeah, Ah think so."

Kitty grabbed the bottle of whiskey and, apparently forgetting about her glass, brought it to her lips and took a big swallow.

Marie grabbed the bottle firmly and pulled it away. It slipped away easily from Kitty's drunken fingers. Kitty frowned, stared down at her now empty hand with glassy eyes, turned back to Marie. Reached for the bottle like a little kid reaching for a toy.

"Hey!" She leaned towards Marie a little too far and… and slid right off of her stool, crashing to the ground.

"Jesus, have you spent the past two days like _this_?" Marie set the bottle down, slid it away to make sure Kitty wouldn't be able to grab it again, stood up and reached down to help Kitty to her feet. "Ah'm beginning to fear for your poor liver. Come on, we need to get you out of here." She slipped an arm under Kitty's shoulder, and helping her along wouldn't be as hard as it could've been, Kitty was smaller than her.

Kitty pushed her away, stumbled backwards, nearly fell into a table.

"I can walk y'know! M'not going with you, you'll take me back!"

Marie glanced around at the sparsely populated room, and Kitty's outburst had drawn a few stares, but no one seemed too bothered by it. She heaved a sigh and grabbed Kitty's arm, trying to steer her towards the door. "Coat on, it's freezing." She held up the coat and attempted to guide Kitty's arms into the sleeves. "Uhm, it helps if you put it in the hole, and Gawd, if that didn't sound just horribly wrong."

Kitty stumbled out the door and into the parking lot, and she actually was managing to walk on her own, if only barely. Marie hurried her towards her white pickup, fearing it wouldn't be long before Kitty wouldn't be able to manage it at all.

It took a while, but Marie finally managed to get Kitty in the truck.

"Wh-what 'bout my car? We can' jus' leave it."

"Well, _you _certainly aren't going to _drive _it. You can come back for it tomorrow. I have your keys." Marie started the truck and began to pull out of the parking lot.

"Do we have to go back?"

"What else do you suggest we do?"

"I don' know, Rogue. What would you do if…if Wolvie cheated on you 'gain?"

Marie flashed back to what had to be a year earlier, picking up some stranger in a bar after drinking enough whiskey to kill someone who was lucky enough not to have absorbed Logan's healing factor. Of course, those had been way different circumstances. She actually did feel a little guilty for that, now that she thought about it. Never even bothered to ask the guy his name...

Marie shook her head and grimaced; she certainly hoped none of her and Logan's kids would wind up being telepaths. Last thing they'd need to hear was some of the stuff that popped into her messed up brain.

She glanced at Kitty, half hoping the other woman would be passed out or something, but no, she wasn't that lucky. Kitty had her glassy eyes trained on Marie.

"Marie." She blurted finally.

Kitty just looked at her in drunken bewilderment.

"My name." And she wasn't exactly sure why she'd said it. Somehow being called Rogue all the time was beginning to feel strange. "You can call me Marie if you want."

"M'ree. M'ree." Kitty mumbled. "S'pretty." And she turned her eyes out to look at the snow covered trees they were now passing.

"Thanks?" Marie replied, and she was now half hoping that Kitty wouldn't remember a word of this when she woke up the next morning with what would have to be one heck of a hangover.

All was silent for a moment.

"Did you threaten to gut Bobby?" Kitty asked, seemingly at random. "He said y'did."

"Yes." And she wasn't ashamed of that little stunt, either.

Another long pause.

"Would y'do it? I mean, really?"

Marie's eyes widened as she glanced sharply at Kitty.

"Ah-Ah'm…not sure… Ah mean…" She spluttered. "What?"

"Kill him. Would you? Think you'd be doing tons of girls a favor. Or Emma! Kill Emma!"

"No."

"Why?"

"Bobby is possibly the biggest jerk Ah've ever met, and Emma is a complete slut, and it's temptin…but no. Ah can't kill Bobby. The threat was just to scare him good."

"You have before. Killed. Right?" Kitty went on and Marie wasn't even sure she wanted to know what the other woman was thinking exactly. "Easy for you, all those powers you got. Take him by s'prise. He'd never 'xpect you'd really do it."

"That's the drink talking. You need sleep, lots and lots of sleep, and Ah'll make sure to keep Bobby far away from you." Marie shuttered at the thought of Bobby coming within even five feet of a hung over and apparently murderous Kitty.

Kitty wasn't really with it at all by then. She had her head resting on the seat and looked about ready to fall asleep – or, more likely, pass out.

"Come on. Not like you din' think 'bout it when he did it to you."

"No, Ah didn't think about killin _him _at that point. Just his car. Remember that? His precious little red sports car that his parents got him? My baseball bat and a little pocket knife, took him a year to get up enough money to fix it all." No response. Marie glanced over at Kitty one more time.

The other woman was out cold.

Well, shoot. How was Marie supposed to actually get her _into _the mansion now?

* * *

Kris loved the cold. Really, she did. Odd as it might seem, she'd always loved the colder months more than she did summer, especially when it snowed. So, when the temperature dropped some, and Logan asked her if she minded the idea of a little detour, she was quick to tell him to just keep on going.

Which is how they'd wound up on a rough dirt road in the middle of the woods. The road was obviously used by somebody that wasn't just Logan; there was snow all around, but the road itself had been shoveled clear.

She'd never been on a bike before; riding on the back of one with Logan was even more fun than that time that she'd snuck out of her house to meet her boyfriend at his bonfire. Not that it probably would have mattered what they did. She was finding that she just liked being around Logan.

They'd made it back to the mansion by now, vroom-vroom-vrooming their way through the gates and down the long drive before Logan slowed the bike down and sent it gliding easily into the mansions garage.

She got off first, smiling wide.

"That. Was. Awesome!"

Logan chuckled.

"Thought you'd like it. Come on, you must be freezing out here." He started leading her in.

"Doesn't bother me, actually, Ah've always loved…" She trailed off and spun back around as her sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone else's car winding its way down the drive. She was beginning to wonder if she'd ever get used to being able to do that. "Wonder who that is."

* * *

"Logan! Thank goodness, you can help me." Marie placed a quick kiss on Logan's lips as he walked up before skirting around the front of the truck to where Kitty was, glancing briefly at the little brunette standing beside him. "Hello, Kris."

"Hello Missus Howlette."

Marie winced; she still didn't like being 'missus' anybody, but usually left it alone since Ororo pointed out it was a sign of respect coming from the kids at the mansion.

"What do you need help with, exactly?" Logan asked.

"Kitty. She's, uhm, well, see for yourself." She opened the door of the truck, leaned over Kitty's small frame to get to unbuckled her seatbelt. "Ah can't carry Kitty all the way to her bedroom."

Kris looked a little worried upon seeing one of her new teachers in such a sad state.

"Is she ok?"

"She will be." Marie replied simply.

"Right. Ah'd better head in." Kris turned on her heal and was gone so fast Marie had no time to process her strange reaction.

"Any idea what that's about?" Marie asked, turning back to Kitty to unbuckle her seat belt.

Logan didn't answer, instead asking a few questions of his own.

"Where was she?" He gestured towards Kitty. "Why can't Bobby come get her?"

"Because he's the cause of all this, didn't you know that?"

"Why _would_ I know what's going on between those two?"

"Kitty's been hiding away for the past two weeks. Bobby's been avoidin me like the plague. You haven't noticed anythin out of the ordinary?"

He shrugged. Kitty stirred and opened unfocused eyes to look at them, mumbling incoherently.

"Come on Kitty, let's get you inside."

Kitty stumbled out of the truck; Marie tried to support her with an arm around her waist. This worked for a few steps, but Kitty was throwing Marie off balance. Logan finally came forward, mumbling something under his breath – or maybe he was just growling – and picked Kitty up, putting her over his shoulder and carrying her back into the mansion.

Kitty gave a few weak protests. Marie chuckled as she walked alongside Logan. They got Kitty to her room. Logan laid her down on her bed and Marie managed to take off her coat and boots before they slipped back out and shut the door. Marie began moving back down the hallway.

"Where are you going now?"

"To tell Storm that Kitty's ok. Well, more or less ok, anyways."

"And why exactly is Icecube avoiding you?"

"Because I said I'd kill him if I saw him around Emma again."

"Emma Frost, the new chick? When did that happen?"

"More than a week ago. How could you not have heard Kitty shouting at him?"

"I heard that, just didn't know what it was about and figured it wasn't my business. Wait a minute, you told Bobby _what?_" They stopped in front of Ororo's room – it was getting late, so Marie figured that's where the Weather Witch was likely to be – and Logan quirked and eyebrow.

Marie had the decency to look at least a _little_ sheepish.

"You heard me."

"Can I watch?"

"What? No! I mean, it was just a _threat_, for crying out loud, Ah'm not actually going to kill Bobby, even if it _would_ solve a lot of girls problems!" She threw up her hands. Now Logan just looked amused. She scowled. "Ah'm going to talk to Storm now. Go to back to our room, Ah have a surprise for you when Ah'm done here."

"Surprise? I like your surprises."

Her scowl melted into a grin and she leaned in to place a kiss on his lips.

"You're going to love this one."

* * *

"More apple juice?"

"Yes, more apple juice. Do you have a problem with it?" She said, laughing.

"No, no problem at all, it's just… weird." He took the glass away from her and set it down on a table next to their bed, then pulled her into his lap.

"Jubilee literally tried pickles and ice cream, and your calling apple juice weird?"

"Yeah, because it is. Then again, this is you we're talking about. And you are having my baby."

She took both his hands in her own, intertwining their fingers, staring into his eyes for a moment. His brows furrowed slightly. She smiled.

"Babies."

He stared at her, shock slowly registering on his face.

"You mean…"

She held up two fingers and wiggled them, still smiling brightly.

"Surprise!"

He pulled her in for a kiss.

* * *

It was sometime past midnight a few nights later. Marie and Logan were cuddled up together, sleeping peacefully. The first time someone knocked on the door, it was so quiet that neither heard it. There was a pause, and then whoever it was knocked again, a little louder this time, just loud enough.

Marie stirred, but didn't appear to fully wake. Logan slipped out of bed as quietly as he could and didn't bother to slip on a shirt as he padded over to the door.

"This better be goo-" He began in a hushed but gruff tone, cutting off abruptly when he realized who it was. "What are you doing out of bed, kid?"

Kris stood before him in her pajamas, hair a mess as if she'd just gotten out of bed, smelling of salty tears.

She froze for a moment, staring ahead at his shirtless chest, apparently speechless.

He quirked an eyebrow. She closed her eyes as her cheeks turned red.

"Ah-Ah'm s-sorry to wake yah, Ah just, Ah needed… Ah shouldn't have bothered yah, Ah'm sorry."

"Hang on." He slipped back into the room, grabbed a tank top and slid it on, then made his way out of the room, closing the door quietly. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

She followed him to the kitchen and sat down, and a few fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. This was the first time he'd seen her cry, and he wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Mama called me." She said after a minute, her voice quiet.

"How?"

"There was a cell phone she gave me when she said Ah should run. Ah forgot Ah even had it at first. And then she called me. She sounded so scared." All was silent for a moment as she took a breath. "My daddy… he's ok."

"That's good. Right?"

She shrugged, furiously wiping more tears away from her eyes.

"M-Mama said he called these men… Ah don't know who, she just said they didn't like people like us. Mutants. She said he called them… so they could try to find me."

Suddenly it all made perfect sense.

"Your father called those men. Your mother told you to run. They came for you and shot you when you fought back…"

"The day yah found me… How could Daddy do that?" And suddenly she was really crying, the sobs wracking her whole body.

He moved closer to her and, not sure of what to do exactly, put a hand on her shoulder.

She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. He froze at first, then slowly brought a hand up to stroke her hair.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed that way. It probably wasn't really that long before she pushed away, looking almost ashamed.

"Ah-Ah'm sorry for dragging yah out of bed just to listen to me cryin like a baby."

"I've been woken up for dumber things. Don't worry about it."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Ah wish… Ah wish Ah had killed him." And her eyes flashed gold as she began to get angry.

He knew how to handle angry.

"Don't say that. You have any idea how much worse you'd be feeling if you had?"

"Yah don't know my daddy."

"But I know at least a little bit about you."

She didn't respond.

"You have classes in the morning."

"Ah don't think Ah'll be able to sleep. Ah feel like hittin somethin."

"Now that I can help with."

He led her back out of the kitchen and down to the lower levels of the mansion. She didn't know much about fighting, but with Logan teaching her that wouldn't be a problem for long.

* * *

Marie woke up about an hour later, grimacing when she rolled over to discover that the other half of the bed was cold and empty.

The clock read two thirty. Where on earth was Logan? Thinking that he'd perhaps had a nightmare, she slipped out of bed and quietly made her way downstairs. First she peered into the rec room, and of course didn't find Logan there. He wasn't in the kitchen either. It was freezing outside – even he wouldn't be crazy enough to go for a walk now.

She didn't even think to look down in the mansions lower levels, where she would've found Logan and Kris as he tried to teach her how to throw a real punch. Marie made her way back to their room, feeling very, very confused as she slipped back into bed.

* * *

_**Not much to say, except I'm sorry this one kind of took a while. Review please. :)**_

_**I kind of, sort of got the idea for the first part of this from the Miranda Lambert song Mama's Broken Heart. I listened to it just before writing the beginning of this chapter. It's an amusing song if you like country. :D**_


	10. A Problem Named Kris

"It's not surprising that she'd go to Logan. He _is _the one who brought her here. Besides, who wouldn't want those broad, well-muscled shoulders to cry on?"

"Jubes!"

"Hey, it's true!"

"Ah don't care if it is, he's _my_ mate!" It almost came out a growl.

"Ok, ok, sorry. I highly doubt you have anything to fear from Kris. She's what, sixteen? I mean, the big bad Wolverine's turned into a doting husband for _you_, I don't think he'd be willing to give you up. Like at all. Period."

"Ah know, Ah know, it's just…"

"No, you're being ridiculous, and that's final." Jubilee cut Marie off. "Besides, I have a much more pressing matter to talk about: why didn't you ever tell _me_ your name was Marie! We've been best friends since you first came here for crying out loud, I should _not_ have had to find that out from an extremely hung over Kitty Pryde, really, I shouldn't have."

"Oh, Gawd, Ah was hopin she _wouldn't _remember that…"

* * *

Marie went to visit Kitty later that day, thinking to simply ask if she was alright. She hadn't seen her since bringing her back to the mansion.

She was not at all expecting what she got when Kitty opened her room door.

"Thank you." Kitty said, arms wrapped around Marie in a tight hug.

"Well, um, you're welcome." Marie returned the hug loosely, feeling a bit bewildered. "What are friends for, right?"

* * *

There was only a week and a half left before the art show, and Marie was busy, busy, busy trying to sort out everyone's displays.

She somehow found time, however, to start up on a piece of her own. Painting was her forte, and she loved it, and this particular painting was going to be special, a gift for Logan.

She knew art wasn't really his thing, but he tended to like whatever she made simply because she made it. And this… she was making it with a very special anniversary in mind. She wondered a few times whether he would remember it, but scolded herself whenever she did.

As special as that memory was, of course he'd remember.

* * *

"But you only just got back!"

"It's been more than two weeks."

"You were gone for at least a month, two weeks does not make up for that!"

"Ok, point taken. I'll only be gone for today this time, I promise. Would only be a couple hours, but you know how much I hate flying."

Marie did know, that was another trait she'd gotten from him. She'd gotten over it, though, and he refused to bother trying.

Things would be so much simpler sometimes if he'd agree to use the Blackbird.

"Well, alright. Be safe and all that."

"Yeah, I know the drill. I'm just picking up another runaway, that's all."

"Ah hope Ororo doesn't send you after all these kids. Ah know someone has to do it, but Ah'll never see you if she does!"

"Feel free to take that up with her, darlin, I'm just along for the ride." He slipped on his leather jacket, walked over to where she was sitting curled up on their bed, placed a kiss on her forehead. "Besides, with me out of the way for the day you'll have time to work on that painting you're being so secretive about."

She hadn't thought of that.

* * *

"Missus Howlette?"

Marie looked up from her painting and was met with a pair of big, wild green eyes, staring at her from the door way of her classroom.

"Oh, hello Kris. Uhm, is there something Ah can do for you?"

"Ah was just wonderin if Logan was around."

"He's out running errands for Professor Munroe. He won't be back until late." Marie replied, and Kris looked a little disappointed.

"Oh, alright." She stood in the doorway, looking a bit lost somehow. Marie sighed.

"Is something wrong?"

"No…yes. It's nothin."

"You wouldn't have bothered to come and ask me about Logan if it was nothing." Marie pointed out.

"Ah was hopin he'd take me down to the Danger Room or somethin, that's all."

"Ah thought you already had a Danger Room session with him, this morning with the rest of the other students." And Marie knew she sounded annoyed, and she wasn't even sure why, but she couldn't help it.

"Well, Ah did, it's just that Ah… Ah'm kind of goin crazy. Can't seem to chill out. Dr. McCoy says it's kind of another, uhm, feral mutant..thing..or somethin. Ah don't know. Ah'll just go for a run. Sorry Ah bothered yah, Missus Howlette." Kris turned and left rather abruptly.

It took Marie a moment to process what Kris had just. It was cold outside. She'd said she was going for a run.

Rogue stirred in the back of her mind, jealous of how comfortable Kris seemed to be getting with Logan.

Marie decided not to bother going after the girl.

* * *

Marie had just begun giving what was to be a short lecture to some of her art students about Impressionism, preparing to set them to work on a project, when she heard the commotion in the hallway.

Her students began murmuring to each other and a few looked about ready to get up and see what was going on for themselves.

"Stay in your seats." She told them as she crossed the room and opened the door.

She was immediately met with a small blonde blur, vaulting past her and into her classroom so fast that Marie wasn't sure she'd actually seen anything.

It didn't take her long to figure out who it had to be; there were only so many students at the mansion with speed related mutations.

She looked back out into the hallway, hearing a growl from somewhere to her left, and was met with quite a sight. Kris was standing not two feet away, eyes a golden yellow, fang like teeth peeking out from beneath her lips. She had several long scratches on her right cheek, only just knitting themselves back together.

"What is going on here?" Marie demanded.

"Ah'm gonna kill her, that's what!"

Marie put her hands on her hips.

"Gabrielle? The girl who just turned tail and ran? Is she really worth the trouble you're about to be in?"

Several snickers reached her ears from the class room behind her, and the class room across the hall that also had its door open.

"The little bitch wouldn't keep her mouth shut, she was askin for it!" Kris growled. Gabrielle peeked out the door way, half hiding behind Marie.

"Don't let her hurt me, Missus H.! She's insane!"

Marie scowled.

"Gabrielle, get out here, have some dignity. Kris, stop growlin and calm down, unlike Gabby here, I ain't afraid of you."

The latter glared at Marie, but Marie just stood there with her hands still on her hips and glared right back. Kris relaxed her stance a little, though her eyes remained that same wolf-like golden yellow.

"Where are you supposed to be right now?"

They pointed at a room a ways down the hall way.

Their teacher, a small and pretty woman with skin the creamy color of coffee, came out and began walking towards them all, looking flustered. Her name was Marisol, and Marie remembered rather off handedly that her mutation involved electricity.

"I'm so sorry, Kris just pounced on her, there was only so much I could do."

"It happens.. Gabrielle, I thought I told you to get out here, you're both going to see Professor Munroe, now, come on."

Gabrielle went out into the hallway, but wouldn't leave Marie's side. Marie caught a glimpse of bite marks on her arm, bleeding bite marks.

Oh, boy.

* * *

Kris closed her eyes and counted to ten slowly, just as Professor Munroe had suggested, taking deep breaths as she did. When she opened her eyes back up the golden yellow had finally faded away; they were back to being there natural, emerald green color.

Storm seemed to visibly relax at this.

"Alright, now. What happened?"

"It was… she started talkin about… why does it matter anyway?"

"You _bit_ her."

"She was teasin one of the other girls."

"And it made _you _angry."

Kris shrugged, looking sheepish maybe, but not ashamed of herself.

"Ah hate bullies."

"Apparently." Professor Munroe seemed to study her for a moment. "You realize that pouncing on Gabrielle gives her the chance to make _you_ the bad girl, right?"

Kris just shrugged again.

"Well, I'll leave your punishment up to Marisol. She should still be in her class room, go on."

"Yes, ma'am." Kris replied before leaving.

* * *

Kris isn't sure of _why_ she wanted to climb the tree. It had just sounded like fun. She really hadn't expected Lizzie to follow her. If she'd known her not-so-athletic friend would insist on trying it, she wouldn't have bothered climbing the tree at all.

As it was, Kris had climbed the tree, Lizzie had followed (with a little help from Kris), and now the blonde was stuck and Kris had no idea what to do.

"Just try, come on! There's another branch right below you! Yah're not _that _high up!"

"Yeah, not that high if you were up here instead! This was _your _idea you know!"

"Yah didn't have to follow me! Just try, or Ah'm gonna go get help!"

Getting help would mean somebody else would find out Lizzie got herself stuck in the tree, and people had enough reasons to tease the girl as it was.

"Ok, ok." Lizzie mumbled as she slowly, carefully, dropped one foot down to rest it on the branch below her, then the other. "There's only two more branches! What do I do?" She asked as she continued to climb down.

"Jump! Ah mean, yah got up there, didn't you?"

"Are you crazy? I only got up here because you helped me up! What if I break a leg or something? I don't heal like you do!"

"Ah know that! Ah'm not stupid! Yah won't break a leg, Ah told you it ain't that high up."

"How do you know?"

"Just do it!"

"Fine, but if I do break something I am _so _not talking to you, for a week!" And then she jumped.

She didn't _break _anything, at least, not that she or Kris could tell. She couldn't walk on her right leg, though, and that was a problem.

"See, what did I tell you?"

"Oh, come on, nothin's _broken_, yah'd see it if it was!"

Lizzie sat with her back against the massive tree she'd just jumped down from and inspected her ankle.

"My ankle hurts."

"It's not broken. Yah probably just twisted it or somethin." Kris paused, looking down at Lizzie's rapidly swelling ankle. "Ah'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Climbing the tree _was _my idea. Ah wouldn't blame yah if yah really stopped talkin to me."

"Oh, shut up, you were right too. I didn't have to follow you. Help me get back to the mansion?"

Kris took Lizzie's hand, thinking to help her stand, but the gesture seemed to have an entirely different effect.

"What the hell?" Lizzie exclaimed, remaining in a sitting position, staring down at her ankle. "That tingles!"

"Tingles? What _tingles_?"

"My hand, and now my ankle, look!"

Kris did look, and what she saw was more than a little surprising. Lizzie's ankle was slowly beginning to look less red, less swollen. A brief moment passed and then it looked completely normal again.

"It doesn't hurt anymore!" Lizzie's eyes were wide as she wiggled her foot around.

"Apparently." Kris's eyes were wide too as she watched her friend get to her feet without a problem. "Hey, what did yah say it felt like?"

"I don't know, kind of warm, tingly."

"Did it hurt?"

"Uhm, no, but it didn't feel good either. Just…weird. Why does it matter? My ankle just healed itself!"

Sounds like the feelin Ah get when Ah heal, Kris thought, but wasn't sure what that meant exactly and so decided to keep it to herself.

"Maybe you should go see Dr. McCoy anyway. Make sure."

Lizzie shrugged and began heading back towards the mansion. Kris trailed along behind her.

* * *

"You got any ideas on what I'm supposed to do with the kid?" Logan asked off-handedly sometime later. He'd been back for maybe an hour and they had retreated to their room.

Marie resisted the urge to scowl at him, knowing who he was talking about without having to ask.

"Who said _you_ have to _do _anything?"

"I don't know, everyone else just seems afraid of her," He replied, sounding a little awkward, "seems like someone should do something. I mean, 'Ro said she _bit_ the other chick, right?"

"Yeah. Ah saw the marks." Marie paused in thought. "Gabrielle probably did deserve it. We've all seen how annoying she can be."

"Maybe, but to hear 'Ro talk like she does, I get the idea that most people don't consider mauling annoying idiots an option…"

Something in the tone of his voice sent a giggle bubbling up through Marie's throat and passed her lips.

"No, Logan, normal people, namely just about anyone who isn't _you_, don't consider that an option. 'Specially not girls. That is such a…you thing to say."

"This coming from _you_, who slammed the Ice-cube up against a wall and threatened to gut him if he didn't leave Kitty alone." He looked at her, amused, eye brow quirked.

"Ah did say _just about _anyone, and normal is overrated." Marie replied without skipping a beat. "Besides, it's been kinda fun, watchin him run away like a scared little girl every time he sees me."

Logan chuckled.

"And 'Ro wonders how you wound up being the Wolverine's mate." He wrapped his arms around Marie and pulled her closer, attacking her neck with kisses and little nips, eliciting a surprised squeal from her.

This went on for a few minutes. Marie's thoughts trailed back to Kris even though she tried to force them not to, even as Logan slipped off her shirt and shifted his _attentions_ down to other areas.

"She doesn't have to be your problem, yah know." She said.

"Mmm?" He mummed distractedly.

"The kid, I mean. Kris."

"What 'bout 'er?" He had her bra off too, now, and she had to work to keep her train of thought on track.

"Ah just said, she doesn't have to be yah problem."

"Never said she was a _problem_," he pulled back to look at her rather huffily, "just said I don't know what to do with her."

"Well, Ah mean, Ah'm just sayin. Nobody said yah had to do anythin." She replied. "Ah mean, why do you care if she gets into trouble? As childish as that fight really was…"

He paused and actually seemed to think that through a moment, to Marie's surprise.

"People like you and me… we know what it's like to _not_ have someone who cares. I don't want her to have to get used to what that feels like." He replied finally, and then scowled. "What's it to you, anyways?"

"Well, she's gettin you up in the middle of the night, and yah took her for a ride on the bike yah wouldn't even let _me _touch…" Marie sighed. "Know what? Forget it. Ah shouldn't've said anythin." She pushed him back with two hands on his chest and crawled on top of him, straddling him, deciding it was his turn for some _attentions_. She could sense that he was getting frustrated now, and she hadn't intended that. She made to slip off his shirt.

A soft, annoyed growl rumbled passed his lips as he firmly grasped her wrists to stop her. She froze, startled; he never refused her like that.

"You're jealous." It was a statement, not a question, and his tone was gruff. "You're jealous of the kid."

Marie didn't look at him, and didn't answer either. He sat up, her now sitting in his lap.

"Damn. And you're calling her a child? Come on, Marie."

"Can yah blame me? Ah was only seventeen when yah found me!"

"Well, you certainly ain't seventeen anymore! How can you be jealous of the kid when _you're _the one carrying mine?"

"Ah…Ah don't know, Ah just am. Maybe _you _don't see _her _that way, but Ah think _she_ does _you,_ and yah're _mine_." The last word came out in a low tone unfamiliar even to her own ears; this was Rogue talking more than Marie. "Somebody needs to make good n' sure she knows that."

Logan snorted.

"When the hell did you get that possessive? I promised I'd look out for her, it's as simple as that." He growled at her again, an angry growl that sounded almost challenging; he wanted to know just what she planned to do about it. He almost never directed one of _those _growls at her.

Rogue backed off and decided to change tactics.

"Ah'm sorry." She forced her voice to soften as she crawled out of his lap and laid herself out on the bed beside him, her position submissive.

He quirked an eyebrow now.

"Look, from now on, just tell me when you get worried like that, plain and simple. You know how much I hate it when people beat around the bush."

"Alright. Ah will, Ah promise."

He eyed her for a moment, trying to make it look like he was still a little angry, but she could sense otherwise, could smell that he was beginning to get aroused again. She gave him the most innocent expression she could conjure up, asking with big brown eyes for him not to be too upset with her.

He gave in, of course; he'd already told her about how attractive he thought her growing belly was, though she couldn't figure out how that worked. He slid off his shirt as he crawled up to hover above her, mindful of her by now quite visible baby bump.

"I guess, if it's really been bothering you, I could make sure she knows you're my mate, no buts. Hate to see you all worked up like that."

Inwardly, Rogue gave a triumphant grin before scampering back to her little corner of Marie's mind, and Marie wasn't sure of what just happened exactly, but she certainly wasn't complaining.

"Yeah. Thanks! I mean, that's all I ask." She replied, and he was rather distracted again, so he didn't notice anything wrong with her hasty response.

They didn't do much more talking after that.

* * *

_**I'm so sorry it's taken me so long! Writers block – just, ugh.**_

_**I know there's a lot of Kris is in this chapter, even though it's supposed to be a Rogue/Logan centric fic, but there's a reason for that, so just bear with me.**_

_**Thanks to those who have reviewed and all that good stuff. More reviews would be amazing as always. :) **_


	11. Art Shows and MIA Husbands

"Logan!" Kris exclaimed as he wandered into the rec room. She jumped to her feet from her position on the couch where she'd been sitting with some others, watching a movie.

"Hey kid." He replied, quirking an eyebrow as she bounced up to him. "What's got you all excited?"

"Ah just found out somethin new about my mutation, Dr. McCoy spent hours poking and proddin me. See, me and Lizzie were climbin the tree yesterday and…" She went on to explain what happened the day before while Logan listened with a surprisingly genuine interest. "…and her ankle healed itself! Or, Ah healed it Ah guess, apparently Ah can do that now too. Just gotta touch someone and concentrate on whatever's wrong with 'em, isn't that awesome?"

"Yeah, it is actually. Definitely something that could come in handy." Logan paused for a moment as a thought struck him. "Didn't you tell me Lizzie's powers got something to with plants? Why couldn't she move the tree branch or something?"

"Cause she's paranoid." Kris replied, not unkindly, rolling her eyes. "Says she needs more practice before she tries anythin big like that. Can't say Ah blame her."

"Ah, right." Silence reigned for a moment as Logan eyed the kid, thinking of the sort-of-argument he'd had with Marie the night before.

Kris frowned at him.

"Hey, is somethin wrong?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing." He told her, because what was he supposed to say anyway? He was pretty sure Marie was just overreacting.

"If yah say so." Kris seemed about ready to go on, but then one of the boys she'd been sitting with called out her name. She glanced back at him with a little smile before turning back to Logan. "I'll see yah round." And with that she went back to her friends.

Logan felt a slight surge of protectiveness when he saw how the boy scooted in closer to Kris. He eyed the pair as he went over what Marie had said (again). It occurred to him that she maybe wasn't being fair.

Fair? He was starting to sound like one of the brats occupying the room in front of him.

Then again, so was Marie. Where did she get off acting like a jealous teenager when shewas wearing the ring he'd bought her, and carrying _his _kids for crying out loud?

He growled to himself as he took out a cigar and headed outside. He missed the way Kris turned sharply upon just catching his growl; two worried green eyes trailed him until he was out of sight.

* * *

One week until the art show, and Marie was still busy, busy, busy trying to get her own painting done whilst keeping up with her classes and sorting out the art displays, so she only half noticed that Logan seemed a bit distant suddenly.

She chalked it up to their sort-of-argument a few nights earlier. Maybe she'd over stepped her boundaries a little, but hey, it wasn't like he'd never over stepped his with her. She figured he'd get over it.

She also found time to marvel at the new, strange quirks she seemed to have acquired over the first eight weeks of being pregnant. Not only was she craving apple juice like crazy, but she was beginning to find that she was just about _always _hungry. She wasn't entirely unused to this; being able to heal like Logan had the side effect of making her eat like a football player or something, because she had to fuel her strange metabolism somehow, right?

Except now it was even worse, much to the amusement of everyone else.

Add that to the fact that she felt tired all the time too, and achy, and she was beginning to dread the next seven months, because according to Jubilee, it was only going to get worse.

Put all the strangeness together, add in a bit of grumpiness, and when she finally did take a moment to think about, maybe it was no wonder Logan was being a little distant.

* * *

"Are you coming upstairs? Ah kind of had an," she shimmied her shoulders suggestively, "idea for what we could do. I'm in a _real _good mood."

He seemed to hesitate before responding. She wasn't sure what to think of this.

"You're not going to like me for this. I promised Kris I'd start teaching her how to ride."

"Ride? As in…as in ride a motorcycle? _Your _motorcycle?" Instead of spending a night with her? She couldn't help feeling a little hurt.

"Yeah, _my _motorcycle. You know a bunch of the other girls are going shopping tonight, I figured you'd be going with them."

"Well. Ah guess now Ah will." Marie felt sad for about ten seconds…then she remembered that she knew where Logan kept a stash of money hidden away in their room. Well. It'd be his fault for leaving her alone-and being so weird as to not try using a _bank _like any normal person. "Sounds like fun, actually. Have fun with Kris, Sugah." She leaned in, pressed her lips to his scruffy cheek, then bounced back off toward their room.

* * *

Five days until the art show, and Marie awoke for the first time in a long time to find the right side of her and Logan's bed to be empty, cold and empty. She was fully awake instantly, sitting up and looking around.

"Logan?" She called out, then paused, listening to see if the shower was running. It wasn't.

She'd gone to bed early the night before, right after she'd gotten back from shopping; he'd been – well, she'd had no idea; he'd still been out with Kris. But she'd assumed he'd come to bed eventually. Had he even?

The thought crossed her mind that maybe he hadn't. She scolded herself for being paranoid, but then, maybe she had a right to be. This situation was rather familiar.

She took a breath, got up, and began to get ready for the day, deciding she'd go talk to Ororo before jumping to conclusions.

* * *

"He didn't tell you?"

"Ah.. went to bed right after we got back last night. Ah had no idea where he was."

"Perhaps he didn't want to wake you, then. Relax, Rogue. He's running another 'errand' for me, sort of."

"Sort of?"

Ororo hesitated. Marie narrowed her eyes. The Weather Witch grimaced.

"Come to think of it, I can absolutely see why he might not want to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Kris's mother has been keeping in contact with her. Just yesterday she said she wanted to see her, needed to for some reason, and Kris insisted that she was going to make that happen. Whether we helped, or not." Ororo shrugged. "I thought it'd be best if we helped."

There was a pregnant pause in which Marie began to glare at the older woman.

"And you had to send _Logan_ with her?"

"_Logan _is the only person here who can handle her for that long."

Marie wanted to argue, to stay mad, but she knew there was no point. Ororo was absolutely right. Her shoulders slumped.

"That makes sense. I can't believe he wouldn't tell me first, though." She paused before going on in a quieter, somewhat more insecure voice. "Ah was afraid…for a minute Ah was afraid he'd left again."

"He wouldn't leave you, Rogue." Ororo replied, as if it were a matter of fact, and an obvious one at that.

"You don't even like Logan." Marie pointed out, quirking an eyebrow in a Logan-ish fashion.

"No, I don't always." Ororo conceded. "But I'd like to think that I at least sort of know him. I've seen how he is around you. How he looks at you. He's not going anywhere. That should be the least of your worries."

"Ah'll take you word for it. How long will he be gone this time, then?"

"I don't know. Three or four days, that's if they don't stick around too long. They're headed to… somewhere in Georgia."

Three or four days. Three or four days, if they didn't stick around too long. It was Tuesday. Her art show was Saturday. He'd be cutting it awful close.

"Rogue? Are you alright? You know, I can look after your class for a while, why don't you just go call him? I can see you getting tense. Stress isn't good for the babies, you know."

"Ah know, Ah know." Marie forced a smile. "Thanks, Ororo. You're right, I'm just going to go call him." She left without another word and headed back up to her bedroom.

She took out her phone, took a deep breath – Ororo was right, stress was no good for her babies – and dialed Logan's number.

It rang and rang and rang again, and she was about to just hang up when he finally answered.

"_Hey."_

"You knew it was me."

"_Only two who ever call me are you and 'Ro."_

"Oh, right." She stopped there, unsure of what else to say now that she was actually talking to him.

"_Are you alright?"_

"Yeah. Yeah, wonderful, except Ah woke up to an empty bed this mornin and it was such a familiar feelin…" Marie trailed off, realizing he'd be hurt by what she was about to say.

He was quiet for so long she thought he'd hung up.

"_Sorry. Should've woken you." _

She didn't answer, because she couldn't think of anything more to say. What was wrong here, anyways? Did he really sound angry? Was she trying to find a reason to pick a fight because she knew he was with Kris, because she was jealous? Or was she just overreacting, being emotional and pregnant again?

"_Listen, I'm sorry, alright? I thought you knew by now that I wasn't going anywhere, certainly not without you. You know, it'd be nice if you'd relax a little and just trust me, Marie."_

Her first thought was to just say sorry, but the very idea left a bitter taste in her mouth. Somehow she just couldn't bring herself to believe any trust issues between them were her fault.

"I have classes, I should go." She said instead, then waited, expecting him to say something else, or at the very least say 'I love you'.

But he didn't, though Marie was pretty sure he hadn't hung up either. She scowled into the phone, even though he couldn't see it. Why was it that everything was becoming some strange battle of wills with them? He seemed to be expecting her to give in, and it was beginning to tick her off a little.

Marie hung up without another word.

* * *

Four days until the art show and Logan hadn't called Marie since the previous morning. She was trying not to even think about it. She'd see him Saturday, if all went well, and they'd go to the art show, and she'd show off her painting and he'd forget all about whatever else was going on.

If all went well. Which it almost never did with them. But she wasn't going to think about that.

* * *

Three days until her art show, and Logan still hadn't called her, and she was beginning to get a little worried now. It wasn't like him not to check in with her, even when they were at odds with each other over something.

Kitty, Jubilee, and several other girls at the mansion drag her out to see a movie, buying her a bunch of junk food and forcing her into a chick flick. They tell her to stop worrying, because even if something had gone wrong, which they were going to assume for the sake of her sanity that it hadn't, Logan would be fine because Logan was _always _fine.

She did her very best to take their advice and believe them.

* * *

Two days. Still nothing from Logan. Jubilee and Kitty decided to bake her cookies.

"Maybe you should sit down." Marie commented as she watched Jubilee in the kitchen. "You look about ready to pop, you know."

"I _feel_ about ready to pop." Jubilee laid a hand on her stomach lovingly. "Just one more month."

"Why are you making me cookies if you're the one who should be taking it easy?"

"Cause you're the one who needs cheering up." Kitty chimed in. "And she can't sit still anyways. She has way too much energy for being preggers. I'm pretty sure it's just not natural."

"How would you even know, anways?"

"I don't know, t.v. shows I guess?"

"Oh, come on…"

Marie watched as her friends continued, talking and baking and laughing. She listened, laughed right along with them, and wondered what she would do without them.

* * *

One day. _Still _nothing from Logan.

Anger was beginning to overtake her worry. Logan had promised he would be at her art show. If he didn't show up…

Well, he was either in trouble, or he was most definitely going to be.

* * *

Marie was dressed all up in a pretty, simple, little black dress. It had thin straps and a sweetheart neckline, and it puckered out from just below her chest to flow loosely over her pregnant belly, coming down to just above her knees. Her shoes were just as simple, low healed black pumps that shimmered when the light shined on them.

She had her hair pinned up loosely, the white streaks falling down to rest at the nape of her neck. Just a touch of makeup, a little blush and lip gloss. She'd had this ensemble picked out just so she'd look nice for Logan.

And he wasn't back yet. Still hadn't even called. She knew she should be worried, and she was still, a little. She was also, mostly, just really, really pissed off.

Sitting out on display, bigger than any of the other paintings she'd ever done, was a scene of her and Logan, sitting at a table at a rather nice restaurant. Well, _very_ nice, actually, considering it had been his idea to go there.

He'd been uncomfortable, nervous, dressed in a nice button down shirt that Ororo, or maybe Jubes, had suggested he wear, along with a new pair of jeans.

She'd been dressed in a sequined red dress that she'd borrowed form Jubilee's closet, and somehow hadn't been nervous at all.

It hadn't gone like he'd probably planned at first, because he was too nervous to just talk to her like he would have; like he always did. But then she'd made a comment about how she really didn't like dresses all that much, and then had pointed and laughed at one of the other girls there, a ditzy blonde whose date had looked either bored, or annoyed, or maybe both, and he'd laughed with her, and then that had been it, the rest of the night had gone fine, just perfect, even the kiss goodnight. Just a kiss, because _he'd _wanted to take it slow with her at the time.

It had been their first date. And it had happened on a Saturday exactly four years ago.

What made it special was that now they were married. Well, she'd thought it would make it special, but he hadn't even mentioned it, hadn't even talked to her in days.

She spent more time at Chase's display, which had all of his paintings of her, than at her own that night. She'd only displayed her paintings for fun and hadn't entered herself in any of the little contests that were going. Her students insisted, though, and so her first date painting won first prize.

Two of Chase's sketches won too – the one of her by the pool, and the one of her in the Danger Room with her claws out. He let her have them both.

She hung them up in her and Logan's room that night and locked the door before going to bed. If he did decide to finally come back, he wouldn't be sleeping with her that night.

* * *

_Four days earlier…_

"Logan…"

"I know, kid, I see it."

"No…mom..."

"Don't get out! You stay here, whoever did this could still be around."

"B-but…"

"It wasn't a suggestion, Kris. Stay in the truck." Logan ignored the glare she sent at him and got out of the truck, approaching the house cautiously.

The metal fence surrounding it was knocked down in front, the gate half off its hinges. The door to the house itself was wide open and the front window had been shattered.

He scanned the farmland surrounding the house, listened to see if he could hear anything coming from the cluster of sheds and barns behind it. Nothing.

He took a few steps closer and realized something else, though. He could _smell_ blood.

He darted forward and into the house, looking around at the overturned couch and smashed wooden furniture. Well, whatever had happened, Kris's mother had put up a real fight, that was for sure.

"Logan, Ah smell… is that…"

"I thought I told you to stay in the damn truck."

"Someone's here."

He quirked a questioning eyebrow at her as she stood tensely in the doorway.

"There scent… Ah know their scent." She went on.

A groan sounded from somewhere deeper in the house, faint, but loud enough for their sensitive ears to pick up.

Kris's eyes turned a golden yellow as Logan's claws shot out on instinct. They both darted towards the back of the house, following the scent of blood as it got stronger.

"K-Kris?"

"Billy!"

"W-where have you been?"

"Ok, who's this?" Logan asked, looking between the two.

"My older brother…" Kris trailed off, kneeling next to the young man, who was slumped in a sitting position just beneath another broken window. They were in what Logan assumed to be his bedroom. "Billy, what is goin on?"

"Ah-Ah don't know. Ah got home from school this mornin, Ah'd been drivin all night. They were draggin Mom away when Ah got here."

"They?" Logan asked. Kris was no longer paying much attention – she was busy trying to slip off her brother's shirt to get to his bleeding shoulder and stomach.

"Ah don't know, some men. They were wearing what looked like military uniforms. They said somethin about her helpin Kris get away, said Kris's dangerous. I tried to stop 'em… guess yah can see where that got me."

"How'd they know to come here for her? No one outside of Georgia even knows this town exists. _I _didn't know until yesterday." Logan said, eyeing Kris even as he was talking to her brother. Her face had gone pale as she stared at her brother's stomach and the bleeding bullet wounds…

For one surreal moment he envisioned the young man wearing an old army uniform, helmet still on his head, a large gun still held loosely in his arms.

He froze and blinked, because that wasn't right, and what was wrong with him here lately anyways? He'd been getting all kinds of flashes like that.

"L-Logan, h-he's…w-what should Ah…" Kris stuttered, turning her now frightened eyes on him. He came forward and picked up the shirt Billy had been wearing, balling it up and pressing it firmly against the wound on his stomach. He had a feeling it was too late to help, but maybe they could try, for Kris's sake if nothing else. He needed a hospital, is what he needed, but maybe if they had some bandages they could patch him until…

Oh. Wait. How could Kris have forgotten?

"Heal him." Logan told her.

"What?"

"Remember what you told me a few days ago? About Lizzie and her ankle?"

"Oh. Oh! B-but that was… Ah mean, she hadn't even broken it, Ah don't know if Ah can…"

"Worst case is it doesn't work. Just try."

Kris took a deep breath and snaked a hand out to cover the wound in his shoulder. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could on making him better.

Billy groaned. Logan uncovered the wound in Billy's stomach and watched with morbid fascination as it slowly closed itself back up, the skin knitting itself right back together the same way his or Kris's would have.

A moment passed, and there was nothing left but a small pink scar, unnoticeable unless one was really looking for it.

Billy still looked pale and weak – Kris couldn't exactly replace all the blood he'd lost – but with the wounds healed there was a good chance he'd be alright if given a chance to rest.

Logan leaned in and had Billy place an arm over his shoulders, helping Billy to stand and walk over to the bed to sit down.

Kris stood as well, looking a little pale herself, and wound up leaning against the wall.

"Are you alright, kid?"

"Guess it takes a lot of energy to heal someone else like that. Ah'm ok." She took a deep breath before making her way over to stand next to him. "Billy, what do you think…" Whatever she was about to say next, the words died on her lips when she heard the distinct sound of a familiar engine roaring to life.

"My truck!" Logan growled, and then he was gone, out of the bedroom and heading straight out of the house.

Kris followed, and came up next to him just in time to watch as the white pickup went speeding down the road, screeching around a corner and out of sight. "Well, shoot. Now what?"

* * *

_**Thanks for the reviews! **_


	12. Two Mutants and A College Kid

"So yah're tellin me that yah know nothin about any of this?" Kris could feel her brothers eyes on her as he spoke. "Yah'll just happened to arrive on the same day Mama gets taken by some men who nearly kill me just as Ah come home from school. Oh, yeah, and let's not forget the fact that yah'll were so busy tryin to figure out what happened that yah left your only phone in the truck that yah also left unlocked, which just got stolen by God-knows-who seeing as we're out in the middle of nowhere."

"I see yah're point, what the hell kind of odds are those anyways?" Kris asked Logan, pausing in the pacing she'd been keeping up for the past fifteen minutes or so.

"This was set up." Logan replied with certainty.

"Ok, so why do _they_, whoever _they _even are, want me _this _bad?"

Logan didn't answer.

"He's right, Ah think this was a set up." Billy spoke up again. "Except they didn't do too good a job of it. Maybe they expected you to get here earlier or somethin, so they took Mama instead to get your attention." He paused, and again Kris could feel his eyes boring into her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Krissy. What is goin on?"

"Ah-Ah don't know." It was only a partial lie. She could take a few guesses, and all of them involved her being a mutant. She wasn't sure she wanted to explain that to her brother.

But then again, she owed him an explanation, and besides he'd already seen some of what she could do, and he wasn't stupid.

"Krissy." He said again.

"Ah really don't know, ok?" She said, finally turning to face him. "Ah mean, you've seen what Ah can do, so take a guess, you'll probably be thinkin the same things as me."

There was a long, deafening silence before her brother spoke up again.

"You need to get away then." He said quietly. "Ah've heard some stuff – awful stuff. Could maybe just be rumors, but…but you need to run. Back to where ever you disappeared to after the accident with Dad...Ah mean, yah'll were safe there right? Wherever you were hidin was safe?"

"We've got no way to get _anywhere_ now, and only so much money." She turned back to Logan, who had been awful quiet for several minutes. "What do we do?"

He seemed almost startled to realize she was talking to him. She wondered what he'd been thinking but thought better of asking.

"What do we do?" He repeated gruffly. "We get moving. Staying here ain't going to do us any good. Don't your parents have a car?"

"Mama does." Kris murmured absently as a thought suddenly struck her. "Hey, I'll be right back."

She slipped out of the room and across the hall into what had been her bedroom. It was still exactly the same as she'd left it. They'd left her room alone. Good.

She walked over to her dresser and opened one of the smaller top drawers, taking out its sparse contents. And then she froze for a moment, staring at the papers and the small knit _something _that her Mama had made her that one time for her birthday (Kris only kept it _because _her Mama had made it). Something wasn't right.

She brought the small knit whatever-it-was up to her nose and sniffed. It smelled kind of old and dusty, and then there was her scent all over it, and another that she could recognize as her Mama's. And then there was the foreign scent of leather and guys cologne?

Some _had _been in her room!

Dumping the items in her hand on the dresser, she reached back into the drawer and pulled out the fake bottom – and was slightly confused when the saw the large old hunting knife sitting there right where she'd put it. It didn't even look like it had been moved. Had it? Why else would someone have come into her room and gone into this drawer only? And for that matter, how would anyone else know where anything was in her room?

She took out the sheathed knife, blew a bit of dust off of it, took it out of the leather case.

And there it was, her hunting knife, looking sharp as ever. It had been a gift from her Daddy, back when he had still sort of liked her.

"Kid?" She heard Logan from out in the hallway. She slid the knife back into the leather case and hurried out of the room.

"Just had to grab something." She tried to keep the knife out of the sight. He glanced down at her hand as she tried to hide it behind her leg, but said nothing. "Uhm," she went on, "I don't know where Mama's keys are."

Logan quirked that eyebrow of his again.

"Who said anything about keys?"

Her Mama's white SUV was plain, common, and just too perfect for what they needed.

Kris made a mental note to have Logan teach her how to hot wire a car like that.

* * *

Marie was in the middle of a class on Monday morning when she finally got the call she'd been waiting for. She took the phone out of her pocket and darted out of her class room so fast that her students began shooting questions at her. She ignored them as she slipped out into the hallway.

"Hello?" She asked warily, because she hadn't actually recognized the number on the phone.

"_Marie?"_

"Logan!" She nearly growled at him. "_Where_ have you been?"

"_It's a pretty long story…"_

"Ah can make time."

"_Somebody really wants to get a hold of the kid, alright?"_

"Well, are you coming back here?"

"_Kris..wants to go after these guys." _Logan replied, sounding hesitant.

"Oh, no. _Tell me_ you are not actually going to do that."

"_They took her _mother _Marie."_

"Remember me? _Ah'm _your mate, and Ah'm getting ready to _be _a mother, you should be here with me!"

"_I'm not going to fight with you!" _He growled at her. _"I told the kid we'd try to do something, so that's what we're going to do."_

"What if something happens to you?"

"_It won't."_

"And how do you know that?"

"…_because I'll make sure these guys know they'll have _you _to deal with if it does."_

She scowled into the phone.

"Ah hope the _kid_ is worth all this trouble." She grumbled. "Just…be safe, Logan. _Please_ don't get yourself taken again."

"_Yeah, yeah." _He replied gruffly, and then he was gone.

She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it.

"Not even an 'Ah love you'. Doesn't call for days, then tells me he's not coming back, and Ah don't even get and 'Ah love you'. You keep that up, Logan, you may find yourself without a wife to come back _too_." She shoved the phone back into her pocket and made her way back into her classroom.

* * *

It was a small piece of paper, hidden in the case for her knife.

'Don't worry, Krissy. They promised she won't be hurt.' It said nothing else, just gave her an address.

Krissy. She hated that nickname. Only her dad ever called her that.

Her dad, who had obviously written the note, and told _them _about her. She could sort of understand this, could sort of understand why he would think her dangerous after the accident.

What she could _not _understand was how the man could lead _them _to violently take his own wife hostage over it.

She let out a growl of frustration as she paced around the dingy motel room they were staying in, kicking the bed as she passed it.

Billy froze and stared at her, startled.

"_What _was _that?"_

"Me bein angry." Kris replied a little sheepishly.

He chuckled.

"Kris smash!"

"Shut up!" She threw a pillow and stuck her tongue out at him before flopping down onto the bed. "Ah'm hungry." She declared, seemingly out of the blue.

"Yah're _always _hungry now. We've been on the road for what, two days? And Ah swear Ah ain't never seen someone so little eat so dang much. That got anythin to do with that healin…thing yah can do?"

She giggled.

"Not very descriptive, are yah?"

He chucked the pillow back at her. She giggled some more.

"Where do yah suppose Logan got to?"

Kris shrugged.

"He said he was goin to get us some money. Knowin him he's probably found himself a cage to fight in."

"Cage?" Billy replied, sounding a bit incredulous. "Figures you'd run off to some fancy old school and start crushin on a _cage fighter _who's probably twice your age."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, sitting up and facing him.

"Well, Ah mean, you obviously like him. And that's fine, Ah guess, cause he _obviously_ don't see you that way. Actually, it's kind of a relief."

Kris's brows furrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, Ah just mean… You had me and Mama worried…"

She narrowed her eyes.

"…that you maybe, yah know, weren't battin for the right team…" He finished off feebly.

She was outright glaring by now, and was seconds away from making a smart-mouthed reply when the door to the motel room opened to reveal Logan, carrying a six pack of beer in one hand and four different fast food bags in the other. Kris was off the bed in seconds, entirely ignoring her brother's comment in favor of her growling stomach.

"Logan, where've yah been?" She asked as she snatched the fast food bags out of his hand. He watched her take them over to a table and immediately pull out one of the burgers he'd gotten, looking amused.

"Getting us some extra cash, like I told you. Hungry?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

She blushed lightly and shrugged. He came up and set the beer on the table next to the food.

"There's a soda in one of those bags by the way."

She found it and mumbled a thank you around a mouthful of burger, plopping herself down into a chair. Her brother eyed the way she was sitting, legs spread a bit like a man, leaning forward on the table.

"Mama'd have a fit to see you now, dressed in blue jeans with yah're hair down like that."

Kris scoffed.

"Mama knows I'm a tomboy. I think Daddy's the one who didn't like it."

"Ah, right. Speaking of your mother." Logan spoke up again. "Asked around about that address. We'd need to hit the road early tomorrow." He paused, hesitating, and Kris noticed.

"Ok. What else?"

"I think maybe we should wait this out."

"What?" She asked flatly.

"Just, here me out. We don't know what's going on here. Some one's going to get hurt."

"We can't exactly get _hurt_ like that."

"Your mother can." He turned towards Billy. "So can…"

"So can Ah." Billy cut him off. "Ah know Ah'm useless here, but this is my Mama too, you know. If yah do this, Ah'm comin to."

"If we wait it won't matter, what if they…" Kris trailed off.

"Storm can take the jet and be there with the team in hours." Logan reasoned.

"Ah don't _care." _Kris snapped. "Why's it so hard to see this is _my _fight."

"I'm trying to tell you it doesn't _have _to be your fight, kid, you have help and you'd be stupid not to use that!"

"What if Ah don't want help."

"Why the hell wouldn't you?"

"Because…because Daddy might be there!" She blurted, jumping to her feet to face Logan properly, emerald eyes turning golden yellow. "This is all my fault, don't yah get it!"

There was a bit of a pause as Logan, to Kris's shock, backed off, hands up in surrender. Billy, she noticed offhandedly, was frozen, just staring at her, probably trying to figure out what had just happened.

"I got that feeling." Logan said. "Just wanted to make sure I was right so I knew how to go into this."

"W-what?" She snapped, confused.

"I got the feeling you thought this was your fault. You told me yourself. Said you wished you'd killed your dad."

"She said _what_?" Billy asked, eyes wide. "You said _what?"_

"That's right." Logan told him, then turned back to Kris. "So now I know what this is really about. You're not going in just to save your mother, you're going for blood."

She sat back down in the chair, eyes slowly turning back to green, shoulders slumping, burger getting cold on the table beside her – she wasn't hungry any more. Something about the way he'd just said that had her stomach twisting itself in knots.

Logan caught a glimpse of her knife, resting in its case on her belt where she'd strapped it. He moved forward swiftly and pulled it out, inspecting it.

"Question is, are you prepared to take it,_ kid_?" He threw the knife toward the table and it spun around a few times in the air before imbedding itself in the table, adding another mark to all the other scratches and dings on the rickety old wood.

She stared at it and didn't say a word, because even she didn't know the answer to that.

The sun had only just risen when they left the next morning. Logan's question would continue to haunt Kris all that day.

* * *

"Marie?" Jubilee was standing in her door way, eyes wide. She'd been Marie for a while, ever since she'd told Kitty her real name. Jubilee had liked it too much not to use it. "You're packing a bag. Why are you packing a bag? You aren't seriously..."

"Ah'm getting out of here, Jubes, what does it _look _like."

"B-but! Where will you _go_? What will you _do_? You can't just leave, you're pregnant, you need doctors and a hospital and…"

"And Ah can find all of that somewhere else, can't Ah? Ah'll be a teacher somewhere or something. Maybe Ah'll start up some serious art classes. Ah don't know." Marie continued to flit around the room, packing clothing, random bathroom items, some of her art work, the two sketches Chase had given her… she picked up her First Date painting, but realized it was too big to pack away, and besides she'd meant it to be a gift for Logan. She placed it just so on the bed instead.

"I don't understand." Jubilee watched, crowding the door way. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because Ah want to get out here, isn't that reason enough?"

Jubilee crossed her arms and just stared at her in an I-know-you-better-than-that sort of way. Marie sighed.

"Because Logan still can't figure out what his priorities are. Ah'm tired of waitin around for him, Jubes. _Ah_'m going to do the leaving this time. See how he likes it."

All was silent as Marie finished packing her bag and came to stand in front of Jubilee.

"Will you ever come back?" Jubilee asked in a tiny voice.

"Probably. Maybe. Ah don't know." Marie shrugged.

"You know he won't stick around for long without you here, right?"

"Ah don't care." Marie said, and she really didn't care – except to half hope that he'd come looking for her.

Jubilee finally moved out of her way, and Marie gave her a hug before making her way down the hall way quickly. Jubilee followed her as best she could being nearly nine months pregnant.

"Well, I mean, he took your truck, what car will you…" Jubilee stopped short when Rogue passed all the other cars in the garage and stopped at Logan's bike. "Ok."

Marie appeared to be looking it over – inspecting it using knowledge she'd gotten from Logan, one way or another.

"I'll use it for a while, then trade it in somewhere for another truck or something. Could get good money for it." Marie explained.

"Do you even know how to ride it?"

Marie only rolled her eyes; as if that was the most ridiculous question she'd ever heard.

"Logan's going to _kill _you for this."

"Nah, Ah'll be long gone before he gets back." Marie replied, strapping her bags down onto the back of the bike.

"Marie…" Jubilee trailed off, watching her get on the bike. "Do you really have to do this?"

Marie seemed to think on that for a moment.

"No. Ah _want _to. Don't worry, Ah'll be careful, Ah know Ah've got more than just myself to take care of." A hand trailed down to brush against her stomach. "Believe me, Ah know." She started the engine and slowly began to roll right out of the garage, passing Jubilee on her way. Jubilee followed her out, running after her as best she could. "Oh, and it's Rogue!" She called before revving the engine and shooting off down the drive.

She'd been nearly out of New York, heading for she-wasn't-even-sure-where, before she realized she'd left her cell phone sitting on the table next to her side of the bed.

* * *

…_.Please leave a message…. BEEEP…_

"_Marie, its Logan, and... well… I'm sorry. You were right, I was wrong, and I'm not just saying that, I mean it. I should be there with you. Had a dream last night that you left and I don't know what I'd do if that happened… so just don't. Please. I love you…"_

He was hoping she'd call him back, giggle a little, tell him to 'stop bein silly, Sugah, Ah'm not goin anywhere, Ah love you too.', but she never did.

When they finally got to the large, seemingly abandoned warehouse that was supposedly housing Kris's mother, Kris herself had her knife out and was just staring at it.

Her brother got out and looked around a bit.

Logan turned to look back at her.

"She may not even be here."

"They wouldn't have brought us here for nothin, right? If my mama isn't here… whoever is may know where she's bein kept."

"Fair enough." Logan conceded. Kris didn't move, just kept staring at the knife in her hands. "You ready for this, kid?" Logan asked.

She finally took the knife and slipped it back in its case.

"Let's just do this." She said, getting out of the car. Logan snorted and shook his head, because he was almost positive this wasn't going to end well.

The door to the warehouse opened too easily; the trio made their way in warily, Kris and Logan jumping at the littlest noises. It didn't take long for them to realize that whatever this place actually was, it was no random abandoned warehouse. The winding hallways they traveled along, lined with windowless doors, were clean, not dusty. Someone had been using the place for something, and none of the three really wanted to know what.

Kris, at least, was hoping to find out _who, _though.

It seemed like hours before they finally made it to a more open area. Well, sort of open – the perimeter of the large room was lined with mesh cages. Rows of them swept outward, creating small hallways, with one path leading straight through the room.

Kris jogged forward, because she was almost certain this was where her mother would be.

"Kris." Logan growled softly, but she ignored him.

"H-hello?" A small voice called out, echoing throughout the cavernous room.

Kris's eyes widened.

"M-Mama?" She called back.

"_Kristine_?" The same small voice called out again, and Kris was more than ready to dart in the direction her mama's sweet voice was coming from.

Logan stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, eyes a golden yellow, fangs peeking out from beneath her lips.

"Let. Me. Go."

"I'm not the enemy, kid." He growled at her in return. "Shut up and listen carefully."

She glared at him, but did as he told her.

Footsteps was what she heard. Lots of them. Coming from a couple different directions. And coming _fast_. She spun around to stare at the entrance they had just come through.

"What is it?" Billy asked after a moment.

"Soldiers maybe? I don't know." Logan said, standing just behind Kris with his back to her, watching the other entrance. "But there's a lot of them."

"So, ah, just how many do yah think two mutants and a useless human college kid can take?"

Kris drew her knife as the first of the soldier-ish men appeared in the entrance she was facing. Logan's claws shot out with an all too familiar metallic _snikt_, and neither of them noticed the fact that Billy wasn't half as nervous as 'a useless human college kid' should've been.

More men appeared in the entrance Logan was facing, and these guys had guns.

"I guess we're about to find out." Is what Logan said, just before all Hell broke loose.

**_Cliffie, muhahahaha!_**

**_Actually, that wasn't purposeful, it's just late and I'm tired and this seemed like an ok place to end this chapter. :D_**

**_Reviews make my day, they really do. _**


	13. Pickup Trucks and Angels

_"So, ah, just how many do yah think two mutants and a useless human college kid can take?"_

_Kris drew her knife as the first of the soldier-ish men appeared in the entrance she was facing. Logan's claws shot out with an all too familiar metallic __snikt__, and neither of them noticed the fact that Billy wasn't half as nervous as 'a useless human college kid' should've been._

_More men appeared in the entrance Logan was facing, and these guys had guns._

_"I guess we're about to find out." Is what Logan said, just before all Hell broke loose._

Bullets started flying, and suddenly the room was a flurry of activity. Kris shot forward, going after their attackers using an animal-like instinct fueled by no small amount of rage. Logan had been right when he'd said she'd been out for blood.

Logan focused more on disarming the soldiers than killing them, because they seemed to back off a bit once they were left without their weapons. They weren't fighting for any real reason, just following orders probably.

He wasn't sure why that should make him go easy on them, but for some reason he could understand it, so he did.

He wrenched one guys gun away before elbowing him in the stomach, sliced easily through the large assault rifle with his claws, rendering it useless… except to knock someone out, maybe, and he promptly went on to do just that before dropping the scrap piece of metal. He then turned to basically repeat the process on another set of soldiers.

"Something tells me your Dad ain't here, kid." He retracted his claws and threw a solid punch, finally knocking one of their attackers out cold. One down, way too many to go. "Kid?" He turned to glance in her direction when all he heard from her was a feral snarl.

He swore.

Kris had built herself into a berserker rage, not unlike one of his own. The soldiers didn't stand a chance against her – it was incredible, considering she wasn't too well trained yet and the men were twice her size (three times her size, in some cases).

He knew better than to get in her way.

A bullet tore straight through his arm. He swore again and didn't even wait the seconds it would take for it to heal, rounding on whoever was behind him. The guy fired another shot. Logan sliced the gun in half before impaling the brave idiot.

There weren't many left by now, and the rest weren't going anywhere near him. He looked up and around, spotted Billy doing his own dance with three relentless soldiers, and holding his own pretty well. Really well. So well Logan didn't feel the need to help him. He looked a little the worse for wear when he finally landed a good old fashioned punch to the last one standing – well, not standing anymore – but he was alive and kicking, and Logan was impressed.

Kris, on the other hand…

The men she'd fought were all, well, quite dead. Save for one, who was trying to make a quick getaway, and she looked about ready to go after him too.

"Kris!" Billy called out to her as Logan darted forward and grabbed her arm firmly. She rounded on him with a snarl, eyes golden yellow, and swung the hand holding her knife around, catching Logan right across the cheek. Logan caught her other arm in an iron grip and snarled right back. She froze and just stared at him.

"Come on back, kid." He said. "It's over."

Her eyes turned back to normal, and she pulled away. Logan let her go. She stumbled backwards a bit, looking around with wide eyes as Logan swiped his hand across his cheek, wiping away a single drop of blood.

"W-what… D-did Ah… Ah-Ah mean…" Kris looked horrified.

"Just be glad they were all bad guys." Logan said, his voice a little gentler now. Or, as gentle as he ever got without his Marie around, at least. "Well, more or less anyways."

"More or less?" She asked, confused.

"Hired guns Ah'd guess." Billy spoke up, coming up to stand next to Logan. "Half of them were runnin scared by the time they realized what they were up against." He eyed Kris strangely – which is to say he looked a little disturbed, probably because her clothes were tattered and splattered with what had to be blood, her hair a frizzed mess. She looked like… some kind of wild child.

"Speaking of what they were up against." Logan turned to Billy. "Useless college kid, huh?"

"You lookin for an explanation?"

"Maybe not my business, but…"

"Ok, we'll go with Karate lessons then."

"Yeah, and then we'll pretend I can believe that." Logan snorted before turning back to Kris, who hadn't moved from her spot where she was surrounded by bodies. "Come one, let's find your mother and get out of here." Kris didn't move immediately. "Hey!" Logan snapped and she jumped.

"What?" She asked, then took a hesitant step forward. "Oh, right, Mama, ok."

She carefully avoided the bodies around them as she walked past Logan, looking dazed. Billy stepped out of her way, giving her a very wide berth.

Logan resisted the urge to literally bang his head against a wall, because if he'd just called 'Ro, none of it would have happened.

* * *

She liked the crazy thing. She liked it _a lot_. She was nearly three months pregnant, though, and it was more than a little unsafe.

But she _really _liked the crazy thing.

She was sitting on a picnic table, all bundled up in her fur lined leather jacket, and just staring at the bike, parked just off the side of the road, not too far in front of her. She'd stopped to eat a sandwich – it had barely passed for a meal, but it was better than nothing.

Why there was a picnic table sitting just off a high way lined with trees, she had no idea.

She heaved a sigh. If she sold the bike, Logan would have her head. Well, he would if she ever felt like swallowing her pride and heading back to the mansion; back to him.

That was about as likely as him apologizing to her or something. Which was to say, not very likely at all. At least, she didn't think so.

It was freezing outside, and it suddenly struck her that she would kill for one of Logan's cigars. Actually, she'd kill to have one and actually be able to _smoke _it.

Wishful thinking was not going to get her anywhere. She stood and decided to hit the road again.

She still was not sure of where she was going. Actually, that wasn't true. She did have an idea. It wasn't the _best _idea, but it wasn't a _bad_ one either.

She started the bike and began heading towards West Virginia.

* * *

"Hey, 'Ro…"

"_Logan! Oh, thank the goddess! You know, you could try _calling _every once in a while."_

"Well, hey, I _did_ call. Marie."

"_Rogue? You talked to Rogue? When? How?"_

"What do you mean how, I called her phone and that was days ago. Tried calling her again yesterday, but she didn't pick up."

"_She left her phone, that's why."_ Ororo sounded disappointed.

"Left her phone where? What's going on?"

"_Logan…just come back to the mansion."_

"Go get Rogue, I need to talk to her."

"_No! N-no, you can talk to her when you get back."_

"What if I just don't want to wait that long?"

"_I can't…"_

"She's not there, is she? Where'd she go? Do you know? Just tell me!"

Ororo didn't answer immediately. Logan resisted the urge to snap at her again.

"_No, Logan, she' s not here. I don't know where she went. She left a few nights ago, middle of the night, the only one who knew was Jubilee."_

"She left."

"_Yes. I'm sorry, Logan. She didn't even take her phone, she's gone."_

Gone.

The phone fell from his hands and hit the ground, the back flying off, the battery flying out.

Really gone.

She'd left her phone behind so he couldn't even call her. Was that by design?

Good and gone.

How could she be _gone_. She was pregnant_. _Their truck was gone, what had she done, taken his motorcycle? He growled at the people-less parking lot surrounding him and resisted the urge to punch the nearest hard object. She was _pregnant_.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ Marie…

* * *

"Hello?" The woman that answered the door was small and older, long gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Yes?"

"G-good evenin ma'am, uhm, Ah was just wondering about that old truck you got for sale…" Rogue was shivering a bit in the snow, and feeling a bit skeptical now. She had a feeling this woman wouldn't know what to do with a motorcycle if she had one.

"Oh, right, right." She seemed to look Rogue over before peeking out to look at the bike in her drive way. Then she sighed. "I'm Carolyn. Come on in."

"Oh no, y-you don't have to…"

"It's freezing out there and I've got a fire going." Carolyn said, beckoning Rogue forward. Rogue stepped in. "Would hardly be any kind of decent to just leave you out there."

Rogue quirked an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment.

Carolyn lead her into a large room that did, indeed, have a fire place with a fire blazing inside. The warmth felt crazy good. Marie took off her gloves, looking around a bit. The house was beautiful, the furniture all polished wood and leather.

"Uhm, about that truck." She said, turning back to the older woman.

"It doesn't run well, that's why I'm selling it. My son was going to fix it up, but never got to it and now he's left."

"Figures." Marie murmured.

"What was that dear?"

"Nothin. Guess it doesn't matter anyways, I don't have much money. I was hoping to find someone to sell my bike too, exchange it I guess."

"Ah, well, as fine a motorcycle as that one appears to be, I have no business riding one of those death traps." She paused and gave Marie a smile that could only be described as mischievous. "Any more, that is. Come on and sit by the fire. I was just making myself dinner, there ought to be plenty for another person."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, ma'am, Ah should really be going –"

"Come on now, you just said you're low on cash. That means you're in no place to reject the gift of a warm meal."

Marie stared at her, not sure what to make of all this. The woman did have a point… and Marie's stomach was growling from the distinct smell of something good cooking.

"Sit." Carolyn said again, and something in the woman's tone of voice had Marie doing so.

She moved to sit at one end of a large leather sofa, just in front of the fire. Carolyn disappeared into another room, her kitchen Marie assumed, only to reappear moments later carrying two steaming bowls of what smelled like some kind of stew.

Marie accepted one of them gratefully, and just hoped the woman wasn't crazy and trying to poison her or something.

The stew was incredible, thick and spicy, and she smiled a little while saying so.

"Thank you, dear. I got the recipe from my mother." Carolyn smiled back genuinely, and seemed to look her over again. "If you don't mind my being nosy, what the devil are you doing riding a motorcycle out in the middle of a snow storm like this?"

Marie shrugged.

"It's all Ah've got. Ah wasn't exactly expecting to hit a snow storm here of all places."

"Obviously. It is a bit odd to get a storm like this here. Listen, the truth is, I just want to be rid of that stupid old truck. I might be inclined to just let you have it if I thought it could be trusted to get you more than half a mile down the road."

Marie perked up at this.

"I could take a look at it."

"You know much about cars?" The older woman seemed a bit skeptical.

"More than you'd think."

"Well, alright then, tell you what. We'll get it back into the garage and if you can fix it, you can have it for all I care about it."

Marie was astonished at her own dumb luck. This crazy old woman was willing to just _give_ thetruck away?

Maybe she wouldn't have to give up Logan's precious bike after all.

"I've got a spare room above the garage, it's attached to the house so it has heat. You can stay up there tonight."

"I don't want to…"

Carolyn held up a hand.

"You've hardly got a choice. Just say thank you, dear."

"Thank you." Marie said sincerely.

Kris was being too quiet. Her mother, a small woman with brown hair that was streaked with grey, wearing a modest blouse and long jean skirt, was a frightened mess.

They were just pulling up to the mansion.

"Logan!" Ororo exclaimed, greeting them as they walked in. "Oh, I'm so glad you're all ok. When we started seeing news reports about something happening down in Georgia… Do you have any idea how many people were killed? That wasn't you, was it?"

"Ah, it's a long story. We need to talk." He paused, glancing back at Kris as she led her mother further into the room. "Actually, no, we need to take care of these guys first, and then we need to talk."

"Of course!" Ororo slipped past him towards Kris's mother.

"You the one in charge around here?" Billy stepped forward.

"Well, sort of." Ororo replied.

"Ah'm Kris's brother Billy. Kris and Logan said you have a doctor here? Mama's, well…"

Mrs. O'Connell was alright for the most part, physically speaking, but she did have a few cuts and bruises.

"Yes, let's get you and your mother down to Hank now, we'll handle everything else once he's had a look at you."

Kris made as if to follow them, but Logan stopped her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine."

"You don't seem fine, I've never seen you this quiet. Is it about the men you…"

"No. Yes. Ah mean, that's just part of it."

"Well, what's the rest then?"

She stared up at him, her expression unreadable.

"Ah heard yah talkin to Professor Munroe the other day, on the phone. Mrs. Howlette ain't here, is she?"

"No, she's not, and that was none of your business." He snapped.

"Ah'm sorry, Ah know, but…" She trailed off, bit her lip, looked down.

"Hey." Logan softened a little again. "What's wrong?"

"You're going to go after her, aren't you?" She said quietly.

"Yeah." He said without hesitation. "Yeah, I am."

"Thank you for helping me save Mama." She leaned up and, to his utter shock, placed a kiss on his scruffy cheek. Then she disappeared, darting down the hall way after her mother.

* * *

"… And then we found her mother tied to a chair inside one of the cages, got her out, and left. The whole thing was too easy. The men we fought weren't too well trained."

"Maybe that was the point." Ororo ventured. "Maybe whoever set this up just wanted to see what Kris could do."

"Well. If that's true, they got one hell of a show out of it. Wish she didn't have to feel guilty over it. Her reaction was natural." He said angrily. He thought that statement over a minute. "Well, natural for, you know, us."

"Don't worry. We'll figure out what's going on here." Ororo promised him.

"We? 'Ro, you know I'm not sticking around, Marie's out there somewhere in the cold carrying my babies and…"

"And you have no idea where she's headed, where to start looking for her. Logan, I need you here, and so does Kris."

"But what if she…"

"Rogue will be fine, she can take care of herself. You know that because you're the one who _taught _her how to take care of herself. She'll come back eventually. The two of you _always_ find your way back eventually. You'll probably be better off just waiting it out. Just like she's had to so many times before."

She'd be back. Eventually. Right.

But Ororo did have a point. Marie was pregnant and she'd never put their babies in danger, so she'd be careful. And they always _did_ seem to wind up back at the mansion, because it was home. And Kris would want him to stay, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had a soft spot for the kid. And Ororo would have it easier if he stuck around – she had enough to do without taking over Danger Room sessions when he wasn't.

"Fine." He grunted finally. "I'm going to go check on Kris."

* * *

"You could stay a while, you know. There's a clinic up the road that's had some experience with pregnancies, and they won't ask questions."

Marie was busy strapping a tarp down over her bike, which was now situated in the back of the old red truck that she'd just gotten done fixing up that morning. She'd been here for four days already. This was the first time Carolyn had even alluded to really noticing Marie was pregnant.

Marie walks up to give the older woman a hug.

"Thank you so much for all of this. Really."

"It was my pleasure." Carolyn tells her with a sad smile. "You really won't stay?"

"No, Ah'm sorry. Ah kind of have an idea of where Ah'm headed. Ah want to keep going. It'll be easier now, Ah'll have heat and be out of the wind." Marie replied.

"Well, good luck then."

"Thank you again."

Marie got into the truck and left. She'd already be more than a dozen miles away before she'd see the little white envelope, tucked half way into the seat next to her.

Inside it there were several bills, making up two hundred dollars, and a note from the sweet old woman.

_You be sure to take good care of that baby, Marie, and I'd think about giving your man a second chance, if I were you.  
I know, I'm a nosy old woman. Can't help myself._

_Carolyn._

Marie just laughed, and wondered if the things her mother used to tell her about angels were true after all.

* * *

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Jubes."

"_Roguey!" _Jubilee squealed, and Rogue winced.

"Yeah, it's me. Ah knew you'd be getting worried by now, so Ah'm just letting you know Ah ain't dead or nothin."

"_Oh, well, thanks. I do feel better now. I'd feel even _better_ if you told me you were done being _stupid _and you were coming back."_

"Uh, yeah, not happening. Yet, anyways. Did Logan get back yet?"

"_Yeah, he's back. Been back for a few days actually, and he's not a happy camper."_

"Funny, Ah thought he'd be out of there the minute he realized Ah was gone."

"_I think he wanted to leave, but Ororo talked him out of it. She needs him here."_

Marie snorted.

"Since when has that stopped him?"

"_Since now apparently. Is it possible _he _wound up with a piece of _you _in his head somehow? I'm beginning to wonder…"_

For some reason that brought to mind a picture of him watching one of those old black and white movies (which they both liked) curled up on their bed with a tub of chocolate ice cream. Marie giggled.

"Don't tell him that, he'd have a fit."

Jubilee giggled a bit as well.

"_So. Where are you now anyways? Did you find something better than that motorcycle?"_

"Yeah, Ah've got a truck now, and Ah'm not telling you anything about where Ah am, you'll just tell him."

"_Fair enough." _Jubilee huffed into the phone. _"Just be careful alright?"_

"Yeah, yeah. I'll call you again when I can."

* * *

At least there was no more snow.

She'd been driving for an entire day, hadn't stopped except to find a phone, and to stop at a salon on a whim. It was late by the time she finally made it to the quaint but pretty little house, situated right in the middle of a pretty little neighborhood full of other quaint but pretty little houses.

She was taking a bit of a chance, really, coming here. She hoped no one would recognize her. Really, they might not. The girl they had known hadn't been so fond of leather, and had liked bright colors. And she'd had long hair, and thanks to that random whim, Marie's wasn't anymore – it was super short in back, and got longer as it came up to frame her face, the two white stripes the longest, just hitting her chin.

She pulled up in front of the house, turned the truck off, and for a moment just stared out the window. There was a single light on – the front window was lit up, the living room. Someone was still awake then.

She wasn't sure why she was nervous. The worst case scenario involved rejection, and it wasn't like she was unused to that.

She finally got out of the car, and slowly made the short trek up to the front door. She stood there for a brief moment, hesitating. Rogue stirred in the back of her mind, growling at her to grow a pair and just do it already, and she almost giggled for all that her feisty inner self sounded like Logan.

Then, finally, she brought up her hand and knocked firmly on the door.

A woman about her height with greying hair and eyes the same chocolate brown as hers answered the door, and didn't say a word, just stared with eyes wide in shock.

Marie attempted to give her a small smile.

"Hey Mama."

* * *

_**Another cliffie, but I have to make sure you keep reading somehow, right? **_

_**Thanks to notashamedtobe, Tigress2929, and DulceDulce DeLeche for reviewing!**_


	14. Old Friends and Revelations

_**I don't think I've done this for a while: I obviously do not own anything in this fic, except for Kris and Billy and their mother. If I did, I would doubtless have much better things to be doing with my time than sitting here like the geek that I am and writing fan-fiction.**_

* * *

_Then, finally, she brought up her hand and knocked firmly on the door._

_A woman about her height with greying hair and eyes the same chocolate brown as hers answered the door, and didn't say a word, just stared with eyes wide in shock._

_Marie attempted to give her a small smile._

_"Hey Mama."_

Silence reigned for a long and awkward moment.

"Ah'm sorry." Marie started, then stopped, because she had no idea what else to say.

"S-sorry?" Her mother seemed astonished, and Marie couldn't quite tell why.

"Yeah. Ah-Ah'm not even sure what for, actually. There's probably a lot Ah could say sorry for. So. Yeah. Ah'm just sorry. Uhm. Ah wouldn't blame yah if yah…"

She was cut off abruptly as her mother suddenly threw her arms around Marie.

"Ah don't evah want to heah yah say sorry to me again. Not evah. _Ah'm _sorry. Ah'm the only one heah who should be." Her mother's impossibly thick Southern accent, the familiar feel of her warm hug, the perfume Marie could smell – the same her mother had always had, it smelled like apples – was almost too much for Marie. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but for some reason this wasn't it.

She wasn't complaining, though.

"Come on in." Her mother said, breaking the hug after a long moment, pulling Marie into the house. "Yah are going to…"

Marie stepped into the house, looked around, promptly realized it had changed little since she'd left all those years ago. The piano was still situated neatly in the corner, and looked like it maybe still got used on occasion. The same basic pattern remained for decorations – pretty little candles and decorative bowls, random pictures lining the walls.

It was familiar, but alien to her in a way she couldn't put into words.

"Are you?" Her mother said, and Marie started upon realizing her mother had asked her something.

"Am Ah what?"

"Going to stay a while? Ah know you were on that – that team, at that school?"

"The X-Men." Marie chuckled at her mother. "And they won't miss me. Well, they might. Sort of. Uhm, it's kind of a lot to explain, and it's late…"

"Tomorrow is Sunday, got nothin goin on besides church." Her mother sat herself down on one end of the couch in the room. She looked over at Marie expectantly.

Marie was starting to wonder whether this was the brightest idea. She was a different person, and there was just _so much _her mother didn't know.

But she was here now.

She sat herself down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Well… what exactly am Ah even explaining?"

"Everythin."

"Ah wouldn't know where to start."

"How about with how you wound up at that school?"

"From the beginning then." Marie sighed. "Alright, but remember, you asked…"

* * *

The painting was beautiful. Well, of course it was. Marie had made it, and Marie was a great artist. He made it seem like he wouldn't know, for appearance sake, but he did.

He remembered that night so clearly. Remembered waiting for her down in the rec room – she'd come down nearly half an hour late, and he'd feigned annoyance, but hadn't really minded.

He remembered sitting in that fancy restaurant, wearing the nice shirt 'Ro had suggested, and feeling more than a little out of his depth.

He remembered Marie just being Marie, pointing out a random couple, a guy who had looked more than a little bored with his little blonde date. He remembered laughing with her, and the nervousness bleeding away as he remembered that this was Marie, and she knew him. Knew him inside and out, and she liked him anyways.

More than liked. _Loved _him. The word itself still seemed so foreign, even after saying it back to her countless times, even after _marrying her._

He supposed he'd been waiting for it to happen all along, been _waiting _for her to get tired of him, and…

And so he'd been a stubborn jackass and messed things up again.

The Wolverine paced restlessly in his mind, telling him he should chase after her, go claim his mate and _now_.

But Marie would be back. If she was just angry at him then he'd leave her be for a while and she'd cool off and come back. He could give her a few days for that, right?

Right?

He stood up from where he'd been sitting on the bed, staring at Marie's painting, and grabbed his jacket on his way out of the room, thinking he needed a drink. A real drink. Something that could just maybe get past his healing for a little while.

And maybe he'd just see about 'borrowing' 'Ro's car to go and get it…

* * *

"Kitty? Why are you on Jubes' phone?"

"_Rogue? She was having pains in her stomach, she and Remy are in with Hank."_

"Oh. Well, do you know where Logan is? And if he's ok?"

"_Uhm, not here, and there's no reason for him not to be. Well, other than the fact that you pulled a disappearing act that was very him, and apparently left your phone so he couldn't call you."_

"Ah didn't do that on purpose. The phone thing, Ah mean. Where'd he go then?"

"_I don't know, it's not like either of you ever tells anyone else anything. What's wrong with you?" _Kitty asked, her words sounding annoyed, but her tone expressing more worry.

"Ah tried calling his phone, and he didn't answer, that's all."

"_Well, why do you care? Ah mean, Jubilee said you called two days ago and didn't even want to talk to him."_

"Ah just got to thinkin, that's all, and Ah'm worried he thinks… Ah don't know, Ah'm worried he's thinkin Ah've suddenly decided Ah hate him or somethin. It may sound silly, but when he gets back, just tell him to call me on this number, ok?"

"_Could you please make up your mind? I thought you were angry at him."_

"Ah am. But that don't mean Ah hate him!"

"_Alright, I'll tell him to call you. If I see him tonight that is, I mean it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out where he's probably gone. This is _Logan _we're talking about."_

"Thank you." Was all Marie said in response before hanging up.

* * *

"You didn't tell me everythin, did yah?" Marie's mother asked her quietly. They were in the kitchen – her mother was cooking dinner. It was Monday night, and Marie had only been there for two days.

"What do you mean?"

"The other night. Ah think you left out some important parts."

In truth, she had left out some stuff – she hadn't told her mom about any battles, fighting alongside the X-Men. She'd also left out parts about certain moments she wasn't proud of herself for. And she hadn't even begun to explain about the Rogue, her own inner animal – some things were probably better left unsaid, if it could be helped. She knew what her mother was talking about though, and it wasn't any of those things.

"Uhm. Like what?" Marie said, feigning innocence. She'd been wearing the baggiest clothing she could find for the past few days in the hopes that she could put off telling her mother about the twins. After all, she'd already dumped a lot on her the night she'd just appeared at the door.

"Well. Why don't yah start with why you came all the way down heah in the first place. Much as Ah'd love to believe it was just for me, Ah know that ain't it."

"You are the reason Ah came _here_, Mama."

"But comin to see me ain't the reason why yah left." Her mother was apparently not going to let it go.

"No. No, it's not. So?"

"So, why did yah leave then?"

Marie huffed.

"Mama…"

"Don't 'Mama' me, it's a fair question to ask."

"Alright, alright. Do you remember Logan?"

"Logan. That big, scruffy man who was hoverin over you like you was his property or somethin?"

"Mama!"

"Well, it's true. Scared me near speechless when Ah first caught sight of him, Ah sweah."

"Mama!" Marie exclaimed again, trying not to growl, cause that would _really _scare her mother. "He's my _mate_, and Ah _wanted _him close by. And Ah amnobodies property!"

"What on earth's that supposed to mean." Her mother actually turned to her now, giving her a strange look.

Marie paused to go over what she'd just said.

"Oh. Uhm. Husband. Ah meant husband, of course Ah meant husband."

"Yah're still actin just as strange as when we talked that day."

Marie's brows furrowed.

"Wait, yah're not upset? About me being married to…"

"Well. Ah gave up any right Ah had to say anything about it, didn't Ah. And it's not like Ah actually _know _him now is it?" Her mother turned back to her cooking. "Is he the reason yah left?"

"Sort of. Ah don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, if yah say so." Her mother paused for a long moment. "So, come on, tell me about my grandbaby. How far along are yah?"

Marie smiled.

"About three months. Almost exactly three months, actually. You've known all along, haven't you?"

"Ah noticed yesterday mornin. Yah're absolutely glowin."

"Well, Ah am excited." Marie paused. "Mama."

"Yes, baby girl?"

"Grandbabies."

This gave her mother pause. She turned to Marie again.

"Babies? Twins?"

Marie nodded, breaking into a grin.

"Grandbabies." Her mother grinned in return, but it immediately faded into a scowl. "They will be my grandbabies right? Yah ain't gonna get me all excited about it and then nevah let me see them?"

"Ah wouldn't do that, Mama, Ah promise."

"Oh, good. So. When will Ah get to meet this young man of yours, then? Properly, Ah mean, cause last time certainly doesn't count."

Marie had to suppress the urge to chuckle at a few different things in that statement. One being her mother's (probably correct assumption) that Marie would find her way back to Logan eventually. Either that or he'd pick his balls up from wherever he'd left them, tell Storm to buzz off, and come find her. Maybe she'd wait around to see just how long that second option would take.

The other being that her mother saw Logan as being _young._ Well, Marie realized with a bit of a start, he _looked _pretty young compared to her mother. She hadn't realized just how long it had been – her mother certainly _looked _old enough to be a grandmamma now.

"Ah don't know. Ah'm thinkin Ah might just stick around here for a while until he feels like trackin me down. See how long it takes for that to happen."

"Did he even have any idea where you were going?"

"No, but Ah'm sure he could figure it out if he tried."

"Tell me more about him. He's not… well, don't get mad at me for askin, but he's not hurtful to yah, is he?"

Marie's eyes widened at what her mother was implying, although she supposed she couldn't blame her mother for wondering.

"No, no, certainly not like that. Logan is, well… Ah'm not quite sure how to describe Logan." Marie chuckled. "Ah guess you'll just have to meet him yourself."

* * *

"Why don't you come shoppin with me? Ah need to get some grocery's."

"Ah'm not sure if me goin out too much around here is the best idea…"

"Well, yah came to church with me Sunday, didn't yah? Only reason anyone even gave you a second glance was because – well."

Her mother didn't need to go on for Marie to know what she meant. She _had _looked a little out of place, she supposed, with her dark clothes and leather jacket and strange hair. Actually, she'd looked _really _out of place. She'd _felt _really out of place.

"What if someone recognizes me? Half the town knew when…"

"Now, don't yah even go there." Her mother scolded her. "Ah mean, yah're all grown up now, and if someone asks… well, one little touch of your finger, and we'll just let them believe what they want. Come on now, yah can't very well stay cooped up in here forevah if yah plan to stay a while."

Marie couldn't argue with that. Really, she was finding that she couldn't much argue with her mother, period. So, they went shopping, and actually had a bit of fun while they were at it. It was so strange, strolling through the grocery store with her mother, buying ingredients for a chicken casserole and for baking chocolate chip cookies, but Marie enjoyed it. She enjoyed the simplicity of it.

And her mother was right; no one really spared her a second glance, with the acceptation of the one teenage girl who came up to tell Marie she loved her hair. The teens hair had been cut in a similar fashion, and she complained offhandedly that her mother wouldn't let her dye it. Marie had gotten a chuckle out of that.

Marie was just beginning to let go of her nervousness when a familiar voice called out to her in the parking lot.

She'd know that voice anywhere. She paled.

Her mother hadn't noticed, and was putting grocery bags into the car while saying something about Marie and her babies and a hospital. Marie didn't really hear a word as she turned to see who had called her.

A tall, handsome man about her age with brown hair was coming towards her. Several emotions flitted across his face as he came closer.

"M-Marie?" He called again, and is it sounded like a question.

Marie tensed as Rogue stirred in the back of her mind, readying for, well, anything really. Because they had told her he hated her. After that stupid kiss, she believed he'd had a right to.

"Cody." She said. "Yeah. It's me."

He came even closer, until he was standing just in front of her, staring at her with wide eyes.

He didn't smell angry. He _didn't _smell angry. If anything, she only got the sense that he was surprised, just surprised. There were times when she felt extraordinarily thankful for Logan's senses. She let out a breath and allowed herself to relax a bit.

"Marie. Oh, man. I-I almost didn't… wow."

She quirked an eyebrow at him in an entirely Logan-ish fashion.

"Yah might want to try pickin yah jaw up off the ground, peaches." This from Rogue a little more than Marie. "You'll catch flies."

He looked away for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I-I'm sorry, I just, I saw you and… I mean, you left so suddenly."

"Well, Ah wasn't..given..much of a choice. " Marie replied a little awkwardly. "What are you still doing here? Ah thought yah said yah were goin to go to college or somethin."

"Well, ah…"

Marie's mother came up, having realized something was up by now, and looked between the two of them before breaking into a grin.

"Well, Ah suppose you could come on home with us and tell her all about it."

"What? Mama!"

"Oh, don't worry, honey, Cody's no stranger to me anyway, he's been comin around every summer to help me with the yard work ever since your father and I… well. Since Ah've been all on my own."

"I'd love to come and visit, Ms. C." Cody said, and so it was settled.

* * *

Cody and Marie spend hours talking.

She explains that she can control her skin, it hadn't been a problem in a long while. She explains that she'd hardly wanted to leave, but her daddy had forced her. She tells him all about how everyone had told her Cody hated her, and she had believed them because it would've made sense. She explains that she is married now, and that she is pregnant (he takes notice of her baby belly and seems to see it as further proof that her skin really isn't a problem now). She even explains a little bit about the school and what she's been up to.

He, in turn, explains that he'd never hated her, had actually felt sorry for her. He explains that he had been married. He explains that his wife had left him for reasons he's still not sure of (and he says nothing else about her). He tells her about how he had moved back here from living in a bigger city. He also confides in her that his parents had tried to make it seem as though Marie had hurt him on purpose, and tells her that he had never believed them, had never believed that she would ever hurt anyone on purpose.

Marie is left a bit speechless at that last bit, thinking about the long list of people she actually _has _hurt on purpose. She wonders what he'd think of her if he knew…

She pushes any negative thoughts away, and decides to be thankful that all he, and her mother for that matter, sees when they look at her is Marie, just Marie.

* * *

It was entirely coincidental.

Marie had just one bag with her, a large bag, but still only the one, and in it she had stuffed everything from shampoo to her favorite leather jacket to a few of her favorite books. The books were the reason she had brought it downstairs one day, near empty because she'd settled into her old room a bit by then. Her mother had gone out that afternoon, lunch or something with her friends, and Marie had decided to curl up on the couch and read for a while.

At least, that's what she had intended to do, except then Cody came around asking – rather sheepishly, insisting he just wanted to spend some time with an old friend and it was _not _a date of course because Marie was very married – if she wanted to go see a movie.

And she had, because it had honestly just sounded like fun.

And so, there the bag sat until her mother came home and found it.

Her intention had only been to move it back upstairs, as she was cleaning up a bit. It was not at all her fault that she picked it up wrong and some of its contents came spilling out onto the carpet. Curiosity took over after that.

The sketches were a little frightening in a way to begin with, though wonderful, very well done. It wasn't until she realized who the sketches were of that she began to feel very disturbed.

It was the one with the strange claws that really got her. She wasn't sure what to think. She found herself wondering again if there was maybe more Marie wasn't telling her.

Of course, she supposed, they could be just pictures. They really could be. But somehow she got the feeling that it was more than that.

She rolled them back up and set them back in the bag and continued on her quest to get it back upstairs. Ultimately, she decided that she gave up any motherly rights she had long ago, including the right to be nosy.

So, she wouldn't ask.

But still… Marie would have some explaining to do. Eventually.

* * *

"Ah don't understand it, how could daddy _do _all of this." Kris was sitting pacing again, in the room that had temporarily been given to her mother, and still trying to make sense of what was going on.

Her mother was sitting calmly on the end of the bed, which she had neatly made, hands folded in her lap as she watched her daughter.

"Ah believe he means well. In a twisted way, but he does mean well."

Kris paused to glare at her mother.

"You're _always _defending him."

"Ah have no right to blame him for anything."

"What do yah mean, yah have no right!" Kris nearly growled, exasperated, and her mother didn't bat an eyelash at her daughters hot tempered displays. Not even when Kris's eyes flashed gold.

"Kristine…" She scolded mildly. "Try to relax."

"Ah don't want to relax, Mama."

"Being angry isn't going to help matters."

"What did you mean when you said you have no right to blame him?"

Her mother paused, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"You have a right to know. Come on and sit down and try to relax and I'll explain."

Kris opened her mouth as if to retort again, and her mother's voice got a bit more stern.

"Kristine O'Connell, Ah said sit down and let your Mama talk. It won't kill you, will it?"

Taking a breath, Kris deflated a little, doing as she was told.

"Now. You promise to let me explain all the way 'fore you get all worked up again?"

"Ah'll try, Mama, Ah promise."

"Alright, thank you. The first thing you should know, is that.. that Dillon O'Connell is not your father."

Kris just stared at her, perfectly speechless, and her mother quickly went on.

"Ah didn't marry him until after you were born, just after, and he was fine with pretending you were his own to begin with. But the thing is, you take after your real father, in more than a few ways. You may look like me, but you got everything else from him; your temper, your wild streak – your mutation." Her mother didn't say the word like the man she called daddy said it – he spat it like it was a curse, while Mrs. O'Connell said it with a hint of something akin to reverence. "And Dillon was never going to claim a child who was gifted like that, because he doesn't see it as a gift, the poor fool."

"Mama." Kris began, cautious but not angry, because somehow this makes sense. "My real father. You knew him real well, didn't you? You knew he was a mutant?" This would make sense, because Mrs. O'Connell seemed to be taking her daughters new traits and abilities in her stride, as if she was perfectly used to them.

Mrs. O'Connell nodded.

"Oh yes, Ah knew. We were never technically married, but there was no need for it. I was his – his – well, Ah never did quite have the words to describe the kind of claim he seemed to have on me."

"He was a feral." Kris said quietly, beginning to put the pieces together. "You were his mate. But Mama, Ah don't get it, why did he leave you alone then, if you were pregnant… Ah mean, Logan's been without his missus for like three days or so and he's already gone half crazy. Ah'm only giving it another two at most and he'll be calling her, _begging _for her to just tell him where she is so he can come for her. And he doesn't beg."

Mrs. O'Connell chuckled softly.

"Oh, honey, you've got it all kinds of wrong. He didn't leave me, he never would have left me. He _let me go_, and Ah like to think it was probably the hardest thing he'd ever had to do."

"But why? Why would he do that?"

"Life, just life. Things got complicated. _He _was complicated. He told me that the very few people who got close to him had a tendency to wind up dead unless they were mutants themselves. So, he told me to pack up and go, someplace far away, someplace where even he might not be able to find me, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold himself back from trying. He confided in me once that he'd never loved anyone like he'd loved me, that Ah was special, and Ah think in the end, that's why he let me go."

A very long pause ensued, but it wasn't as awkward as it could have been. Mrs. O'Connell waited patiently for her daughter to process all that she'd just been told.

"So." Kris said finally. "My real father – do you think he'd ever want to meet me?"

"Ah honestly think he would. You'd have to find him first, it's been a good many years obviously, and Ah don't have a clue what became of him after Ah left."

"What was his name?"

"Victor." Mrs. O'Connell replied. "Victor Creed."

* * *

_**Thanks for all the lovely reviews! And I have to give a big virtual cookie to FW Wandering for guessing where I was headed on the subject of Kris. (I sort of had the last scene planned for a while, but wasn't going to put it in this chapter at first. For some reason, it just seemed like it would fit, because I don't say anything else about Kris and her mom in this chapter.)**_

_**And as for the whole thing with Logan and not chasing right after Rogue, just bear with me, I know where I'm going with this. :)**_


	15. Wolverine's Woman

_**Ok, just to eliminate any possible confusion – I'm going based of the theory that the X-Men aren't aware that Victor Creed's name is, well, what it is. Not sure if they would've anyways in the movies, but it works best if they don't for the purpose of my little sub plot here.**_

_**So, on with the story…**_

* * *

"Uhm, Kris? Hello? Earth to Kris!" Lizzie reached out and snapped her fingers in front of Kris's face. Kris started and turned to her.

"Ok, ok, sorry!"

"Come on, that math test is in two days, and you know how harsh Mr. Drake's been! What's wrong with you anyways, you've been spacing like that on and off for days now."

"I-it's nothin." Kris said a little too quickly, and blushed lightly when Lizzie just stared at her. "It's just that my mama told me some stuff, Ah can't stop thinkin about it."

"Stuff? What stuff?"

"It's nothin." Kris repeated, picking up her pencil and going back to her homework. Lizzie eyed her strangely for a moment before following suite.

She nearly jumped right off her bed when Kris slammed her book shut with a growl no more than five minutes later.

"Ah'm goin to go find Professor Munroe." She said and proceeded to stalk out of their room without another word. Lizzie watched her go with a blank expression.

"Weirdest. Roommate. Ever." She mumbled before going back to her homework.

* * *

"Professor Munroe? Do you got a minute?" Kris asked, a little bit sheepishly – the white haired woman seemed to be busy.

"I _have _one, yes." She replied, amusement shining in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes. Well, no. Ah mean, not exactly." Kris paused to take a breath before crossing the room. "I-it ain't another fight or somethin if that's what yah mean, Ah've been a good girl."

"Good. Why don't you sit down?"

Kris did.

"Uhm, see, it's just… well, my Mama told me something the other day, and Ah can't stop thinkin about it…" She went on to explain what her mother had told her about her real father.

Ororo sat calmly and listened.

"Wow. I'm sorry, that would be a lot to take in all at once."

"It is, but at least it all makes sense Ah guess. The thing is, Mama said he hadn't wanted to give her up, to give _me _up, and that maybe he'd want to meet me, but Ah wouldn't know where to start looking. Could..you help me maybe?"

"I'd be happy to do what I can, of course! What did you say his name was?"

"Uhmm… Victor. Creed."

Ororo's brows furrowed.

"That name. I've heard it, but I'm not sure… Oh, Logan! His memories, he's been getting them back in bits and pieces for months now, it's incredible some of the things he's told us. I think he mentioned that name, a couple times. More than a couple, and not always in relation to _good _memories, but I'd ask him before we do anything else, he may be more help."

* * *

"Ok, now I'm pretty sure _this _borders on bein a date." Marie teased Cody playfully, chuckling when his cheeks flushed red. The restaurant _was _pretty nice.

"Yeah, I kind of didn't think of that until _after _we were already here." He chuckled back. "We could go somewhere else I suppose…"

"No, no, Cody, relax. Ah know you don't mean it like that, Ah was teasin. It's nice of you to take me out like this."

His blush deepens.

"Well, your Mom might've let it slip that you were short on funds. I thought you'd enjoy going out for some real food."

"Of course she did." Marie muttered. "Never mind the fact that Ah've gotten by on ten times less."

"What was that?"

"Nothin, talkin to myself."

"Oh. Ok?"

The silence that ensued was slightly awkward. It had been nice, re-making friends with Cody, but it seemed at times like he didn't quite know what to do with her.

The waiter came to take their orders. Cody was about to order wine, just barely remembering that Marie was pregnant (she told him it was fine, because she didn't really like wine anyways). Cody ordered something expensive, some kind of pasta. Marie (unabashedly) ordered a rather large steak, rare.

Cody raised both eyebrows, but made no comment.

When their food came, the waiter chuckled as he set the plate with a large steak, a baked potato, some steamed vegetables, and a piece of garlic bread down in front of Marie

"You sure this one was for you, ma'am?"

"Yep." Marie said, looking down at her dinner. "Mmmm, it smells amazing."

"A pretty girl who can eat. You're a lucky man, sir, if yah don't mind me sayin so. Hope yah enjoy your meals."

Cody's eyes widened comically while Marie tried desperately not to laugh as the waiter walked off.

"I'd love to see the look on that boys face if he caught a glimpse of my actual husband." She commented. "Doubt he would've been brave enough to make that comment if Logan were here."

"Yeah, right." Cody laughed along with her halfheartedly and seemed to ignore his pasta for the moment in favor of watching her dig into her steak quite heartily.

If she'd bothered to pay attention, she would've noticed the strange scent he took on while doing so. As it was, she conveniently missed it.

* * *

"Hey Logan, can we talk?" Kris chased after him as they and some other students left from a Danger Room session.

"I ain't in the mood." He replied gruffly, reaching inside his jacket and pulling out a cigar, planning to head outside in an attempt to get away from everyone for a while.

"It's kind of important though." She eyed the cigar with longing – it had been a while since she'd had the chance to sneak a pack of cigarettes.

"I said I ain't in the mood, why don't you go talk to your mother or somethin?"

"Because Ah think you may be able to help with this, Logan, _please_, Ah…"

"Kid." He barked in a sudden surge of angry annoyance, rounding on her. "I said. I'm not. In the mood."

She instantly backed off at this, just as she always did when he snapped at her like that. It was almost – ok, purely - instincive. Probably had something to do with him being an alpha male or something (at least, that's what Dr. McCoy would say.)

He pulled back and relaxed a bit at the somewhat hurt look on her face. He thought, very briefly, about apologizing, but then he realized how stupid that actually sounded and turned around, heading down the hallway again.

"Victor Creed." She called out, and he froze. "You know that name, don't you?"

He turned around to face her.

"Yeah, I know it, where the hell did you hear it?"

"My Mama." She forced herself to reply evenly.

"You're… explain. Now!"

"You know what, no! Ah'm not explainin anythin until you stop bein an asshole!" She burst out. Her eyes turned golden yellow, fangs already peeking out from beneath her lips as she snarled and came at him a few steps. He froze for a moment in shock as it suddenly hit him like a ton bricks, who she looked like. Not a whole lot like, but certainly enough…

Really, the girl had her mother's green eyes and her mother's tiny body build, which was why that connection hadn't occurred to him – or anyone else, for that matter.

But the moment that name had left her lips – no. It couldn't be. Then again, she had grown a little taller hadn't she, and she was sturdy, no little waif like the blonde she hung around with.

"Ok." He said, forcing himself to sound calm. "Ok, kid, just cool it. I'll keep my mouth shut, I swear. Just tell me, where'd you hear that name?" What were the chances… but then there was her attitude, her _temper, _worse than his own at times, and that was really saying something. But no, it couldn't be.

"My Mama told me last night – she told me that the man Ah've been callin Daddy ain't my father..." Kris said, trailing off, still glaring at him with those golden eyes.

Well, shoot. Apparently… it could be.

He stared hard at her for a long moment.

"And you're telling me Creed is?"

She let out a breath and shrugged.

"According to Mama." She crossed her arms as the gold finally faded from her eyes. "Yeah."

"I'll be damned." He muttered with an incredulous chuckle. "Well. Ok. Ah – you think you Mother would mind us borrowing her car again?"

"Uhm, no, probably not."

"Good. Let's go for a ride and we'll have that talk you wanted."

* * *

"… Everybody was pretty shocked he survived that fall. I'm not now that I think about. I already knew we were damn near indestructible."

"Yah know, that kind of figures." Kris huffed, staring out the window of the car.

"What does?"

"My mutation appears and the man Ah thought was my father suddenly decides he can't stand me. Then Ah find out he's _not _actually my father…but the man who actually is, is just as bad, except he's playing for the other team."

"Hey, you don't have to look at it like that. Vic may not be all bad. If the story your mother told was true… You know, Marie told me once that she believes there's good in _everybody_." He paused and sighed. "Don't know if she still believes that, she wasn't much older than you are now when she said it." _Before she got me stuck in her head and she realized there's a whole lot of bad in most people, too_, he thought, but kept to himself.

All was silent for a long while as they both just stared out the window.

"Ah think Ah can believe that." Kris said quietly, and he turned to study her. She usually sounded every bit the sixteen year old that she was, but somehow that statement made her suddenly sound wise beyond her small amount of years. "Everybody has a _choice. _Just because somebody seems to _choose _to be all bad, don't mean they _are _all bad." She turned to him. "Right?"

Logan paused as a more recently recovered memory came to mind. An old farmer, in the barn he'd kindly allowed Logan to stay the night in, holding a certain leather jacket that he was preparing to gift Logan with.

"_We all got a choice, son."_

"_Mine got taken."_

"_Bullshit."_

"Yeah, kid." He replied finally. "That's right. We'll figure this out, alright? Got no clue how, but we will."

She nodded, turning to stare back out the window again and for a moment all was silent again.

"So." Kris said slowly, turning back to look at him. "How's 'Uncle Logan' sound to you?"

"I think I could get used to it. Now, if you can turn Marie into 'Aunt Marie', I will be impressed."

A moment passed before Logan chuckled, and then Kris began to giggle.

* * *

"Apple juice? I thought you told me once that you _hated _apple juice." Cody watched Marie with no small amount of amusement as she poured herself a glass of it.

"Normally Ah do, but Ah've been cravin it like crazy ever since the babies came along. Can't seem to get enough of the stuff." She giggled a bit.

"Ok, that _definitely _counts as a weird craving." He commented with a chuckle. "Speaking of the twins, do you have any idea of how long you'll be around?"

"Ah'm not sure. Ah'm thinkin Ah'll try waitin it out, see how long it takes Logan to come on down and get me. Why do you ask?"

"Well, depending on how long you stay, you'll need a doctor at some point right? I have a friend who works at a hospital about an hour away, and I think she'd be more than willing to fit you in for checkups or whatever it is you need. She'd only ask need-to-know questions. Just thought I'd put it out there."

"That's… thoughtful of you." Marie replied. "Ah'll keep that in mind."

"How long do you think that'll take, by the way?"

"What?"

"Your husband coming for you."

"Oh, it could go one of two ways to be honest." Marie said, and she'd thought this one out. "Either the Wolver-, uhm, either he'll start to get a little restless and decide he needs me close by again, in which case Ah'm givin it maybe two more days, or he'll be a stubborn idiot and ignore his ins- er, ignore his feelings 'cause of his pride or whatever until he's about ready to explode, in which case Ah honestly don't know how long it'll be. That's the problem with me and him, we're both stubborn as the day is long."

"Maybe you should be the first to back down then."

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Well, I mean, you know…" He babbled, flustered. "Women are supposed to be better than us guys, less bull-headed. You know, 'be the bigger person' and all that."

Marie stared at him, and then burst into laughter.

"Are you kidding? Ah'm as stubborn as he is, only difference is Ah'll be the first to admit it! We're _both _too proud to back down first. Ah mean, one of us will give in eventually, Ah know that, but… Ah refuse to do it without puttin up a fight." _Because Ah'm the Rogue, Mr. Wolverine, and if you can still do whatever you want, you better believe Ah can too._

* * *

Logan paced restlessly around the room he was supposed to be sharing with Marie, and wondered what to do. Kitty had just given him the number that Marie had called her on. His phone was sitting on the bed, just waiting for him to pick it up and dial the number. The strange thing was, he would have had no problem with admitting defeat and calling her. The Wolverine was pacing around in his mind, restless as ever, snarling at him to call her, demand to know where she was, because _she was his mate, she was pregnant, needed protection, she needed him, _he _needed _her.

But Logan didn't know whether Marie would want to hear from him. He'd promised himself that if she needed a little time, he'd give her that. This was not world ending stuff, honestly.

Except, as horribly, disgustingly mushy as it sounded, he felt like _his _world might end without her around.

He stopped pacing, picked up the phone, stared at it, threw it back down on the bed and began pacing again.

He wouldn't call her. If she needed time, he'd give her time. She'd call him when she was ready, right?

Right?

He headed out of the room, grabbing his jacket, deciding to head out. Out for _what, _a fight maybe, or a drink again? The second option sounded good. It seemed to be the only way to get Marie off his mind for any definite amount of time.

He could almost hear Marie's voice in his head, scolding him because 'even with our healing, drinking that much can't be good.' He ignored it.

* * *

Two days, Marie heard nothing from Logan. It ticked her off that he was really going to go the stubborn idiot route. She resolved to wait however long it would take.

* * *

Two days, Logan spent any free time hauled up in their favorite bar, or the Danger Room, and wondered how long it would take for Marie to come to her senses anyways. He resolved to wait however long it would take, because it was his fault after all.

* * *

Three more days passed, Cody seemed to be finding any excuse he could to come and visit. Marie knew, in all honesty, that he was at least _beginning _to like her as more than just a friend (again). She enjoyed his company, though, and so chose to ignore this.

Still nothing from Logan. She hoped he was ok, even though she was still a little ticked at him.

* * *

Three more days passed, and Logan had a feeling Kitty and Jubilee knew where Marie was, because they'd begun actively avoiding him.

He's about had enough of this.

* * *

Two more days passed and Marie called Jubilee several times, but she didn't answer. Marie wasn't surprised; Jubilee had been overdue by the last time they'd talked, it was highly likely that the baby had finally decided to come.

She was about ready to give up on Logan by now. This was getting ridiculous.

* * *

Two more days passed, Jubilee had her baby. Logan spent hours waiting with a nervous Remy, because somewhere along the line the two had become friends.

Bella Marie LeBeau was what they named their beautiful baby girl, and Remy was beaming with pride as he held the little one gently in his arms.

Logan watched him and wondered how his Marie was doing, and just hoped that she – and his pups, babies, where the hell had _pups _come from? – were safe, wherever they were.

* * *

He was used to nightmares, could usually tell when he was having one, and had gotten to the point where, usually, he could manage to keep semi-sort of-cool when waking up.

This was not one of his usual nightmares, though, and Logan was ready to gut someone.

Of course, it really was just a _dream _this time around, logic dictated that he couldn't, in reality, possibly know anything about Marie. He hadn't even talked to her in a week or two (and it bugged him further to realize that they'd never gone that long without speaking to each other, not since they'd become a couple.)

The guy Marie had been kissing in his dream – it couldn't have been real, Marie would never go for a pretty boy like that, would she? Well. Ok, that wasn't true. She'd fallen for the Icecube at one point.

Somewhere, in the semi-logical chunk of brain that she had at some point managed to install into his head, he knew that it made no sense to go crazy possessive over Marie because of a guy that didn't even exist.

The Wolverine, however, preferred instinct over any kind of logic. His instincts certainly had never failed him before, after all. Whether Marie was ready or not, he was coming for her.

It was early morning by the time he stomped out of his and Marie's room, leather jacket on, a bag already slung over his shoulder.

He knows Ororo will be awake at least, so he heads for the kitchen in the hopes of finding her.

He pauses several feet down the empty hallway, however, upon hearing _two _familiar voices emanating from the room.

Ororo, and one Kitty Pryde.

"_I wasn't kidding when I said I need him _here, _Kitty. Besides, maybe it'll do her some good to get away from him for a while."_

"_But this _is_ crazy, he's _going _crazy, and she's being as prideful and hard headed as he usually is. She's been waiting for him to call her! All I have to do is tell him, and he'll go get her, and then they'll come back, right?"_

"_And what if they don't?"_

"_It's none of our business. None of _your _business, and it never has been, and I personally don't think it's fair that you can't leave them alone just because you love Logan too!" _

Ororo didn't answer immediately, which effectively confirmed what Kitty had so boldly just accused her of.

"_With all due respect, Ororo Munroe, you'll just have to cope." _Kitty finished off.

Logan had heard enough.

He stalked the rest of the way down the hallway, dropping his bag at the door, and making a bee line for Ororo.

Kitty backed out of his way, and didn't say a word as he backed the white-haired woman into a corner.

"Do you know where she is?"

"Logan, maybe…"

"Do you know?"

"Rogue's down in-" Kitty tried to tell him.

"She told us not to tell you." Ororo cut Kitty off, and she was telling the truth, but Logan wasn't going to play that game anymore.

"I'll find her either way."

"Then go ahead and go, I'm not going to-"

Logan let out a growl as his large hand shot out and clamped around Ororo's neck, effectively shutting her up as she began a genuine struggle for breath.

"Kitty, where is she."

"Mississippi, her hometown. She's fine, Logan, really, been with her Mom the whole time, and she's waiting for you." Kitty assured him, sounding a little worried. "Logan… Logan, I don't like Storm very much right now, either, but killing her won't do you any good." The words spilled out of her mouth and she began to smell very nervous.

Ororo was desperately gasping for breath. Logan looked her in the eye and squeezed harder. The Wolverine howled in satisfaction as she struggled weakly. He found himself very, very tempted to kill this woman who had been trying to keep him and his mate apart, from the very beginning.

The words of another woman he'd loved once echoed in his ears.

_You're not an animal, Logan._

…_not an animal…not an animal…_

He _wanted_ to kill her. Marie would understand – she had been fed up with Ororo too.

But he had pups to think about now, and they deserved better. He slowly let go, backing away, watching as Ororo collapsed.

Kitty made no move to help the older woman, instead turning to him.

"Don't call Marie, just go. It'd be a nice surprise for her."

He made his way back out of the room, picking up his bag.

He grumbled a 'thanks' in Kitty's direction as he passed her, and she broke into a grin.

He had no truck, and this was the only real thing stopping him from going anywhere. Except…

Ororo's car was little and girly, but he didn't have too many other options, and stealing it would tick the Weather Witch off. Really, really tick her off. He smirked as he found her keys where she always left them – in a locked drawer in a table just outside the rec room. Good thing locks were no match for adamantium.

The sun had been shining so brightly to begin with that he knew it couldn't have been natural when the sky turned grey and lightning struck.

Oh yeah, Storm was mad.

* * *

"_You have to come back now, Rogue, even if it's just long enough to see Bella. Really, she's just… impossibly cute!"_ Kitty was giggling.

"Oh, Ah will, Ah promise. How's Jubes?"

"_Fine, resting. Won't let the baby out of her sight even for half a minute, unless Remy takes her."_

"I wouldn't blame her." Marie chuckled. "Uhm, what about Logan? Is he – do you think Ah should just call him? Ah miss him like crazy, Ah'm about ready to just give up."

"_No!"_ Kitty said quickly, too quickly, and Marie grimaced. "No, why don't you give it just a little bit longer? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Kitty…" Marie replied with a sigh. "You suck at lying, yah know."

"_I'm not lying." _Kitty exclaimed. _"Look, I mean it ok, just…just wait a few more hours, alright?"_

"Alright, Ah guess a few more hours can't hurt."

* * *

It was her own fault, in retrospect. She should've known going out with Cody again would be a bad idea. But she felt so _normal _around him, and it was so nice, she just couldn't say no when he asked her.

She'd made the mistake of mentioning, off handedly, that she'd need new clothes soon. Both Cody and her mother had insisted upon buy her something – Cody was the first to get to it. So, out they went, to the nearest mall to wander around for a while. Marie hated the mall, had since she was sixteen, at first because she'd been worried about her skin with so many people close by. Now it was just because with the senses she got from Logan it was too noisy, too many people around. Not to mention the awful preppy stores, with all the perfumes they sold – she literally held her breath when passing by them.

And she avoided the actual maternity store like the plague – she wasn't nearly that big yet, and refused to give in that easily.

But they managed to have a little fun anyways, and he bought her lunch and some chocolate ice cream, and told her she looked nice whenever she tried something on. Life was good.

And then he brought her home, and it was all downhill from there.

She saw it coming. She should've turned away. But a part of her _wanted _a redo of this, _wanted _to see what it would be like to kiss him properly, without hurting him.

And she was so distracted that she didn't pay enough attention to the car that had just pulled up.

"Cody, I'm mar-" She tried to remind him, but the words died on her lips as he leaned forward.

His lips met hers gently and she stood still, responding only with her lips, and barely at that. He boldly brought up a hand to rest on her neck, his thumb brushing against her cheek. Honestly, she was about to push him away, she really was, and…

And he was torn away from her so suddenly that she found herself hitting the wooden porch beneath her, on her hands and knees.

An all too familiar growl sounded from out in the yard. She looked up in time to watch Cody land on the ground hard and freeze, staring up at Logan with wide eyes.

"Logan?" Marie said, incredulous, watching as he advanced on Cody. "Cody, you idiot, that's my husband, get out of here!" She yelled at him, and Cody scrambled to his feet, and she could smell Logan's feral rage, as well as Cody's anger.

Of course, Cody wasn't going to let it go that easily. He attempted to throw a punch. Logan caught his fist and squeezed and Cody screamed as the sickening crunch of breaking bones sounded out.

"She's." Logan said, his voice a threatening growl as he pushed Cody so he landed back on the ground. "Mine." He brought up a fist, his claws sliding slowly out to hover above Cody's neck as Cody propped himself up to a sitting position.

It all triggered something in her, something that had Rogue taking over, and Marie had no way to fight it.

"Logan." Rogue called, almost crooning, and he froze.

Standing by now, she walked slowly off the porch and crossed the yard to stand just behind her mate.

"Logan." She said again.

The Wolverine turned to her slowly, and her own darkened eyes met his and didn't look away as she got on her knees, her movements slow, deliberate.

"Yours." Was all Rogue said, tilting her head to the side to expose her neck to the Wolverine – a sign of submission.

Cody didn't seem to know what to make of all this. He stared at her, then up at Logan, then back at her.

Rogue glanced sharply at Cody. He seemed to decide that whatever was happening wasn't his business – he got to his feet shakily and ran to his car, nursing his broken hand. His tires screeched as he disappeared down the road.

Wolverine's claws slid back in.

Marie would later be very thankful that her mother had not been home, although several nosy neighbors would later tell her all about what they had seen. The Wolverine leaned down to pull Rogue up to her feet, and leaned in to bite the smooth skin of her neck.

Of course, he'd done this before, but there was something different about it this time, something even more distinctly possessive.

He then picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and took her inside the house where she led him up to her bedroom.

And, oh, Marie was very, _very _thankful her mother was not home.

* * *

_**So, there you go, a little bit of Logan being Logan. And my version of Marie being Marie, too. Hope you enjoyed it.**_

_**I should have the next chapter up soon. :)**_

_**Because I'm strange that way and my parents brought me up telling me that cursing is bad: I'm sorry for slipping a few more swear words than usual into this chapter in the beginning, but they just seemed to fit sometimes. **_


	16. Meeting the Mama-in-Law

"So you've been here the whole time?"

"Yep."

"With your mother."

"Yep."

"And that jerk who-"

"That was the first and only time, Logan, Cody just got a little carried away that's all."

"Little carried away. Huh." Logan grunted, and Marie sighed.

They were in her room still, on her bed, her sitting between his legs, his arms wrapped around her. It had been about an hour and a half since Logan had sent Cody running scared.

"Suppose… Ah'm going to have to explain all that somehow, yah know?"

"You make that sound like a death sentence." Logan snorted. "They know about your mutation, right?"

"Yeah, but Ah didn't go into certain details."

"In other words, you didn't say anything about the animal." He said, rather bluntly, and Marie rolled her eyes.

"The idea is to _not _give my poor Mama a heart attack, _Logan_."

"You're going to have to tell her sometime, _Marie_, you and I both know it's not something you can hide forever."

"Well, what do you think Ah should tell her then?"

There was a long pause, and then Logan leaned forward to nuzzle Marie's neck, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I don't know any more than you do, Darlin." He admitted.

"Yeah, that's what Ah thought." Marie rolled her eyes again. "Well, anyway, Mama ain't the biggest problem we've got right now."

"Oh? Then what is?"

"Ah don't think we should go back to the mansion this time."

Logan didn't answer immediately, so she went on.

"Ah mean, Ah don't know about you, but Ah'm sick of dealing with Ororo and you going on those missions. Let's just don't go back, let's just do what we're both the best at and run. Go up north again maybe?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this. We can't do that."

"What?" Marie turned to him now. "Why not?"

"Some things have happened…"

"If this has anything, anything at all, to do with _Kris, _Logan, Ah swear!"

"You're cute when you're angry." He leaned in to place a kiss right on the thin line that had become her lips. "Don't kill me. It does have to do with Kris. Marie, she's _family_._"_

"Family? When…how…Logan, what in the hell are you talkin about?"

"I've told you about my brother. Victor."

"Yeah."

"Kris is his kid."

"Oh. Of course she is." Marie got up and stormed out of the room.

"What, you think I'm lying?" He got up to follow her.

"No, I believe you. It just kind of figures. Can't just forget about her now, I know you'd never leave family behind like that."

"Look, I ain't… I'm not sayin…" He chased Marie into the kitchen, where she absently began searching through the refrigerator. "Will you listen to me? I'm not saying we can't run away like you want, but we've got to do _something_ for the kid."

"We? _We_?"

"You're my mate. That makes you her aunt, and you can't hate her that much, what's she ever done to you?"

She turned to him, arms crossed, eyebrow quirked, hip cocked to the side, and he wondered if he was ever going to be out of trouble again.

"Ok. So we go back to visit Jubes, the baby. Bella Marie, that's what they named her. She's beautiful."

Marie seemed to think this over a minute.

"Ah'm not sure it'd be worth it." She turned back to the fridge and began pulling out the fixings for a sandwich.

He only had one other chance at this. It needed to be good.

"Ok. Alright, then we go back so you can kick 'Ro's you-know-what."

"Ah know Ah said Ah was annoyed at her, but that doesn't mean…"

"She's been trying to keep us apart, from the beginning. Sending me on those missions. Yelling at you for spending too much time around me. She's wanted me for herself all along."

This got Marie's attention. She dropped the knife she'd been using and turned to him.

"Who told you that?"

"I heard Kitty arguing with her this morning. Kitty said 'Ro, uh, well, she accused her of loving me." He said, a little uncomfortable. "And 'Ro certainly didn't deny it. Ridiculous, right?"

Marie's eyes narrowed murderously, darkening again, and she let out a string of swear words.

"Ah shoulda known! Oh, we are definitely going back, Ah'm gonna… Ah'm gonna kill her!" She snarled.

"Yeah, thought so."

"What's with you lately, anyways?"

This seemed to take him off guard.

"What do you mean, what's with me?"

"Going all soft for Kris, sticking around just because Ororo," she spat the other woman's name like a curse, "said she _needed_ you_. _Never thought I'd ever have to tell _you_ this, but Jesus Logan, grow a pair! " She turned back to making her sandwich and he stared at her for the longest time, unsure of what to say.

"So _sexy _when you're angry." He said finally, leaning against the door frame and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Not half a sexy as you are. I never would've thought seeing you go all possessive animal over me would be such a turn on. At least that little stunt earlier was definitely a you thing to do."

_Jesus Logan, grow a pair… _it was echoing in his head now, over and over… It wouldn't have bothered him as much, perhaps, if he'd taken notice of Marie's scent and realized Rogue had half taken over again, but he was too distracted.

He slipped one of his cigars out of his jacket, his last one he realized with a scowl.

"Don't guess your mom would like it too much if I had a smoke in here."

"Probably not. She'll be home soon anyways, and Ah don't want her to know you were here already." Marie turned back to him, biting into her sandwich and eyeing his cigar with longing.

He slid it back into his pocket mercifully.

"I'll go drive around the block or something." He grumbled.

* * *

Marie spent the next fifteen or so minutes until her mother got home wondering if she had maybe been a bit harsh.

_Maybe Ah should be wondering what's wrong with _me, _not Logan… _

"Hello!" Her mother called out as she came in, juggling several shopping bags.

"Hey Mama." Marie eyed the bags with a sense of foreboding.

"Ah have somethin for you! Well, several something's actually. Come on over heah and look. Ah didn't know your size exactly, but Ah figure if any of its too big, you'll be able to use it eventually."

Marie began looking through the bags warily, and was rather pleasantly surprised to discover that her mother hadn't picked out anything bright or too frilly. There were also a few bags with some baby clothes.

"Ah saw a lot of pretty stuff, but Ah tried to be good, nothin too girly." Her mother said. "And yah haven't told me what the babies are yet, so Ah went for both boys and girls."

"Mama, how…"

"Just say 'thank you'."

Marie turned to envelope the older woman in a hug.

"Thank you, Mama!"

"Yah welcome, baby girl." She pulled back to kiss Marie. "Why don't you look through all of this while Ah just go see about makin us some dinner."

Marie watched her mother walk off into the kitchen before getting a better look at the new clothing.

That's when the doorbell rang. Thinking it would probably be Logan, Marie called out to her mother saying she'd get it as she crossed the room to the front door.

She nearly growled in anger when she saw the policeman standing on the porch. She stopped herself just in time, mainly because the cop looked apologetic.

"Ah'm sorry, Ma'am, we got a call that somethin strange was goin on over here. Ah'm just here to make sure everythin's alright."

Marie looked passed him to the neighbor's house across the street. She could see the surly face of an old woman staring out the window.

Marie remembered that same mean old woman yelling at her when she was a kid. If she'd been old then, she had to be ancient now, and Marie rolled her eyes. She was probably the only person home all day on a Saturday, the lonely old grump.

"Oh, yeah, everythin's just peachy, officer." Marie said, laying her own accent on thick. "My, uhm, husband's been away for a whahle and came back just today, and he got a little hot an' bothered seein me with a friend is all. That was hours ago now."

He peered into the house a bit. Marie moved out of his way to let him.

"Well, looks to me like everythin's fine. Ah'm sorry to have bothered yah, Ma'am."

Marie let out a sigh of relief as the officer walked back to his car and drove off.

She was just about to close the door again when Logan pulled back up. It was only then that she realized what car he was driving.

"Is that…" She trailed off, pointing at the car as he walked up.

"Yep." Was all he said in response.

Marie shook her head.

"Oh, you're lucky Ah'm gonna have her head, otherwise she'd have yours."

"She'd try." He conceded with a snort. "Is your mom home now?"

"_Marie? Who's there?" _Her mother called out, as if on cue.

"Just a minute Mama!" Marie called back before turning back to Logan with a sigh, looking him over. He quirked an eyebrow but didn't stop her when she buttoned his flannel shirt up a little further, and ran a hand through his hair. Then she leaned up to place a kiss on his scruffy cheek. "Now you be nice, she's your Mama too."

He only shook his head as she shut the door and he trailed her into the kitchen.

"Mama…uhm, there's someone Ah want you to…well, Ah guess you've kind of already…" Marie trailed off, cursing her own nervousness.

Logan came up to hover in the doorway to the kitchen, and flashed a small, but genuine, smile to his mother-in-law.

"It's, ah, nice to meet you." He offered, not seeming at all nervous, just being himself.

Marie's mother froze for a moment, then looked Logan over a bit warily, then turn her gaze on Marie, then went back to eyeing him.

"Meet me proper, yah mean? You can come on in, no sense in hoverin in the doorway."

He stepped further into the room, coming up next to Marie and slipping an arm around her waist.

"Marie's told me all about you." Her mother went on. "And not all good things, neither."

"Yeah." He looked to Marie. "She puts up with a lot staying with me, I know." He turned back to the older woman. "But I love her, and I'm trying to do right by her."

She eyed him again, this time for so long that Marie got a little nervous.

"Well, alright then. You any good at choppin up vegetables? Ah could use a hand over here. Hope yah'll like chili."

"That's…that's it?" Marie asked, incredulous, as her mother began frying some meat in a pan.

"Well, you don't seem angry or anythin, and if you're ok, then so am Ah, baby girl." Her mother replied, as if it should be obvious.

Marie continued to stare at her mother. Logan chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to her temple before letting her go.

"I ain't too handy in the kitchen, uh…"

"Call me anythin but Missus some body, Ah ain't been married in years. My names Loretta."

"Loretta." He repeated a tad awkwardly. "But I can try if it means Marie can sit down for a while."

* * *

Marie sat her mother down later that night and attempted to explain some things about Logan and the things he'd handed off to her.

Loretta asked if it had anything to do with some kind of claws, explaining she'd seen the sketches of Marie's by accident. Marie told her it did. Loretta told her she didn't need (and really wasn't sure she wanted) to know anymore.

Marie insisted on at least explaining about the healing and how she wasn't visibly aging now, and likely wouldn't for a very long time.

Her mother processed this information a little shakily, agreeing to leave well enough alone when it came to Marie's new quirks, and that was the end of that conversation.

* * *

"Listen, Marie, I was thinking. You're right. We'd be better off just heading –"

She placed a kiss on his lips, effectively shutting him up.

"_You _were right. We've got some stuff to take care of first, including your… _our _niece. Ah'm sorry about what Ah said the other day."

He wasn't not sure what to make of that; he looked rather dumbfounded. Marie giggled at the look on his face and kissed him again.

* * *

"Yah will settle down _somewhere_, right?"

"Yes, Mama."

"And you'll find a hospital, take good care of my grandbabies?"

"Of course, Mama."

"And yah promise to come to visit after they're born so Ah have some time with them, too?"

"Yes, Mama, Ah think Ah already _did _promise that." Marie groaned, turning away from loading her new stuff into her truck to face the older woman.

"Ah know, Ah know, Ah'm just makin sure." Her mama replied. "Heah, this is for you. Get the feelin yah won't even touch it, but Ah figure it can't hurt to make sure yah have it anyways."

Marie sighed as she took the old leather bible from her mother.

"Thank you, Mama." She leaned in to give her mother one last hug. "For everythin."

Logan walked up. Loretta turned to him.

"And you," she said, hands on her hips "you bettah promise to be good to my baby girl from now on, cause Ah may not be so forgivin if she comes down heah on her own to hide out again."

Logan choked back a chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied, sharing an amused glance with Marie, who rolled her eyes before turning to get into her truck.

* * *

"Professor Munroe?"

"Yes, Kris?"

Kris paused for a moment upon seeing the bruise on the older woman's neck, but thought better of saying anything (for once).

"Uhm, Ah was just gonna ask if yah know where Logan's gone. Ah haven't seen him since…"

"A few days ago, yes, I'm well aware that he's not here."

"Is he goin to get his wife?"

Ororo grimaced. Kris wasn't sure what to make of her strange behavior.

"Yes, that's where he's gone."

"Oh." Kris replied slowly. "Well. It's about time!"

Ororo scowled, and Kris couldn't quite figure why, nor could she place the strange scent the older woman was giving off. A mix of anger and something else unpleasant.

She gets the feeling she shouldn't ask.

Instead, she hesitantly moves forward and takes the older woman's hand, concentrating. The bruise on Ororo's neck disappears.

Then she leaves the room without another word.

* * *

"Ah think Ah know how to help Kris." Marie told Logan as he helped her slide out of her truck. Or, tried to, ignoring her scowl. "Do you think her mama's still here?"

"Probably, not like they got anywhere else to go. Why, what are you thinking?"

"We find a way to get Sabretooth to meet us – Ah'm leavin that one up to you – and then send Mrs. O'Connell in before anything else. She's his mate, or was anyways, so she if she explains things, he'll probably listen, right?"

Logan shrugged.

"He won't hurt her, I know that much, so I guess it's worth a shot."

"Uncle Logan!" Kris came bounding into the garage, flashing a grin when she saw Marie. "Oh, Ah knew yah'd get her back! Don't know why yah came back here though, Professor Munroe is beyond ticked at you."

"We figured we had…some…things to take care of back here." Logan glanced at Marie, amused, when she snorted. "Including Professor Munroe. And you, kid."

"First things first." Marie piped up. "Ah've got a lady with a baby to see. Is Jubes back in her room?"

Kris nodded and walked alongside Marie as she headed inside the mansion.

* * *

"Roguey!" Jubilee squealed, albeit at half her usual volume so as not to scare the baby in her arms, but Marie still winced a little.

"Hey Jubes!" Marie came to stand next to Jubilee, who was sitting in bed. She peered at the baby and smiled wanly. "Oh, Jubes, she's beautiful!"

"Her names Bella Marie." Jubilee said, smiling back.

"Oh, you just _had _to get Marie in there somewhere, didn't you?"

"Of course!" Jubilee giggled. "Do you want to hold her? Don't worry, all she does at this point is sleep, she doesn't get too fussy."

Jubilee gently shifted baby Bella, holding her out to Marie, who cradled the baby just as gently.

The baby shifted a bit and let out a tiny, quiet squeal of discomfort.

"Shhh, you're ok." Jubilee cooed, and Bella quieted, snuggling up to Marie and going back to sleep.

Marie grinned down at the baby in her arms, rocking from side to side on her feet in that instinctive way that mothers do.

"She's so tiny!"

"I think she likes you."

"She's what, a week old? She'd like anybody as long as they're soft and warm." Marie giggled.

"You'd be surprised. Ororo tried to hold her yesterday, and Bella cried and cried. She wasn't too fond of Marisol either. Maybe she likes you because you're going to be a mommy too."

"Oh, come on Jubes, babies can't sense that."

"I think we'd be surprised at what babies can and cannot do."

Marie rolled her eyes before shifting the baby again, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and then carefully handing her back to her mother.

* * *

_**Sorry to leave it at such an awkward place. This and the next chapter were going to be just one, but that was just too long, so I cut it in half to post it.**_

_**Anyways, thanks for the reviews! I might (might) stop this fic at the next chapter and keep going with a sequel, or I might just keep up with this fic, I'm not sure. I'll be sure to post the name of the sequel if that's the way I decide to go. Just don't worry, I promise this isn't over yet. :)**_


	17. Rogue's Man

"B-but Ah haven't seen him in so many years now, what if… he may not even remember… are you _sure _that's a good idea?" Mrs. O'Connell spluttered nervously after Logan told her about Marie's suggestion.

"If you two were as close as you say you were, believe me, he'd never forget. It's the only idea we've got."

"Well, how are you going to set this up anyways? Ah don't know where he is… he could be dead for all we know! There was always somebody after him, seemed like he was forever on somebodies list."

"Wait. You didn't tell her?" Logan turned to Kris, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Ah might have left a few things out."

"Tell me what?" Mrs. O'Connell asked.

"A few things? Kid, she's still wondering if he got killed or something!"

"Well, how do yah expect me to explain that without explainin the rest of it?"

"Explaining what?" Mrs. O'Connell spoke up again, a little more demanding.

"Go on, tell her." Logan told Kris.

"Maybe we should just forget it…"

"Kristine Victoria O'Connell!" Her mother finally blurted, raising her voice, and Kris started at the use of her full name. "You tell me what's goin on right now!"

Kris and Logan both just stared at the woman, a little surprised.

"S-sorry, Mama. It's just… well… you're not gonna like it." Kris went on to explain all about Sabretooth, with some help from Logan.

Her mother, for all that Kris had at first thought her to be a sweet little southern house wife and nothing more, did not seem at all surprised by what they told her.

Apparently, Mrs. Carolyn Rose O'Connell was a lot tougher than she looked at first glance.

Logan chuckled at that thought. To put up with Victor like she apparently had, she _had _to be one tough little cookie.

* * *

Marie wanted to be out of there within a few days. She really, really did. Because if they _didn't _get out of there, Ororo Munroe was likely to end up gutted for all that Marie had had enough of her.

Marie was a lot more forgiving than Logan, but she wasn't sure she could put up with Ororo openly flirting with her mate. Not for too long, anyways.

First she'd gone in to watch a Danger Room session – because there was nothing sexier than Logan working out – and Ororo had chosen that particular time to join him. Now, Marie would normally have to give the devil her due; they were grown women, after all, and Ororo was no slut. Usually. On this day, however, she'd strolled into the Danger Room wearing a far skimpier, completely unpractical, but perfectly eye-catching version of her X-Men uniform.

Marie wasn't sure whether to be ticked off, or to pity the older woman. She settled on both as she stormed out of the observation room. Plus a little bit of jealousy – her ever growing belly meant that she didn't look half as attractive as the white haired woman probably did to Logan.

Then they had a movie night in the rec room, and Marie had dragged Logan down with her to watch. They walked in quietly, the movie already started, and Logan had given her the last seat on the couch, sitting on the floor in front of her. He looked grumpy, but appeared to actually watch the action flick on the television.

And then Ororo just had to strut in and seat herself right next to Logan, smelling strongly of perfume. Marie scowled, and didn't miss the annoyance radiating off of Logan either. She figured that having a showdown with the Weather Witch right in front of all the students wasn't the brightest idea, though, and so left it alone.

There were several similar incidents like these, just in the three short days that Logan and Marie were back. Not to mention the rain shower that had seemed to come out of nowhere just as Marie had decided to go for a walk.

"So how much longer do we have to stay here?" Marie came up to Logan later that night as he walked along the tree line, cigar clenched between his teeth as usual.

"Just one more day. Tomorrow morning we're meeting Vic at some abandoned mall building, about an hour from here. Don't ask how I managed that, cause even I ain't entirely sure."

"One more day, one more day." Marie chanted, her eyes darkening as the Rogue surfaced for the millionth time in so many days. "Ah can do just one more day. Ah'm a grown woman, Ah can handle it."

Logan quirked an eyebrow at her. She snatched his cigar and brought it to her lips.

"Hey!" He scolded, attempting to take it back. "I don't think that's supposed to be too good for the pups, darlin."

She glared at him, daring him to take it back. He chuckled, looking more amused than anything else.

"Did you just say pups?" She asked, reacting a little belatedly, mirroring his quirked eyebrow.

His expression turned blank.

"Guess I did. That's what they are in my head now. Don't know when that happened."

She seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged.

"With you as their daddy, it kind of fits."

He couldn't decide whether he should somehow be slightly insulted by that or not, but then decided he didn't care. Marie had said it, after all. He shrugged, and a moment of silence ensued. Marie – or maybe it was more Rogue, Logan was never sure lately – indulged in one last puff of the cigar before grudgingly handing it back to him.

"So we could leave tomorrow night, then?" Marie said. "For good this time? No more strings attached?" She asked, hopeful.

"Yeah. No more strings. I promise." He replied. "We'll head up north, just like you wanted. Hide away until the babies come." He slid an arm around her waist to pull her closer.

"And after?"

"If you want."

"Might be nice. No bodied know us, not in Canada. Or Alaska! Ah always wanted to go to Alaska."

Logan chuckled.

"Whatever you want, darlin. Your wish, my command, you know how it goes."

"We'll have to get a cabin with a fire place. It'd be perfect! Ah can just see you choppin wood, always thought you looked like a big ole handsome lumberjack." She giggled. Her eyes had faded back to brown for the time being, leaving him with just Marie as she reached up to straighten the collar of his flannel shirt.

"Hell, I think was one once." He chuckled again. "It's gonna be nice. Great. Just you and me, and the babies." His hazel eyes met her brown ones for a more serious moment. "Really, Marie, a guy couldn't ask for more."

The clouds from earlier finally receded and the moon shone down bright on them as she murmured an 'I love you'.

* * *

Carolyn Rose O'Connell was not scared. A little nervous, yes, but that wasn't the same as being scared. It didn't matter how long it had been, she'd still trust him, the only man she'd ever loved that deeply.

All she was worried about was being pushed away again.

She entered the building warily. It was too dark for her plain old normal eyes to see too much.

She knew that if he was here, though, he was probably watching her already.

"Victor." She called quietly, knowing he'd hear her if he was waiting. "Victor, if yah are here, Ah'm alone, and we need to talk."

There was a very long pause. The building was giving her the creeps. She wasn't going to give it much longer before leaving.

"Don't yah remember my voice? Yah used to…used to say there was nothin sweeter than hearin me just talk." She took a breath and held it as she thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd heard footsteps.

And then his own deep, gruff voice bounced off the walls around her, and she was sure it was the sweetest thing _she'd _ever heard.

"Rosie?" He asked quietly, and she let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Y-yes, dear, it's me." Her eyes began to water a bit as hope and excitement flooded through her, making her whole body tingle.

He came out into the open then, at first nothing more than a hulking shadow, twice her small size, but again, there was no fear in her to be had. Not when it came to Victor.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, but he didn't sound upset.

"Well, that's a long story involving my hus-, uh, involving your, uh… oh goodness. It's just a long and complicated story."

He came closer, hesitantly, until he was right in front of her.

"Rosie." He said again, reaching out a hand to brush against her cheek. She brought her own hand up to cover it, keep it there, leaning her head against it.

"Hello Victor." She looked up at him, giving him a hesitant smile. "Ah-Ah know yah told me to stay away, but…"

He let out a chuckle, and then suddenly she was backed against a wall, and he was kissing her so fiercely that she would have fallen had he not been holding her up.

* * *

"Maybe we should go in after her." Kris was nervous. Really, really nervous. And it had only been a little over ten minutes.

"Relax, kid, I'm sure she's fine."

"But what if she _isn't_?"

"Did you hear a scream or anything? I didn't. She's fine."

"Ah hope so."

* * *

"… And if it weren't for your daughter, Ah don't know what would've happened."

"Well, why the hell d'you have to go and get married anyways?" Victor grumbled, and Carolyn sighed, standing in front of him now. She'd given him the very watered down version of what was going on, and he didn't like it, at all.

"Cause it takes two parents to grow a kid up right." She replied, hands on her hips. "And Dillon ain't a bad guy."

"He tried to kill you!"

"Ah don't know if that was his intention, he might have planned to leave me unharmed."

"Damn. Still won't except that some people are just bad men, will you woman?"

"Never." She replied feistily. Amusement flashed in his dark eyes.

"Good."

She rolled her eyes.

"You better hope I never meet him. I'll tear his damned head off."

"Ah know." She replied, shaking her head, unfazed, although she knew he literally would. "Does it matter anyways? Ah could be yours again. If yah want me to be."

Silence reigned for a long moment.

"What's her name?" He said finally.

"Kristine. Kristine Victoria O…"

"That bastard ain't her father, don't call her that."

"Kristine Victoria_ Creed_, better?"

"Victoria?"

"Had to get you in there somewhere." She giggled. "She needs her real daddy now, somethin fierce. Ah can't help her with the changes she's goin through, and Logan ain't stickin around forever, he's got his own family now."

"Ladies first." He grumbled by way of response, gesturing for her to lead the way out.

* * *

It had been a good twenty minutes now. Kris was still beyond nervous and had begun picking up rocks and pebbles, hurling them at the fence several feet away for something to do.

Both she and Logan started, though, when a somewhat familiar scent hit them.

Another feral.

They both tensed, turning to face the entrance to the abandoned building, and were a little surprised when Kris's mother was the first to come out.

"Mama!" Kris sprinted forward. "What's goin on? Yah've been in there for like twenty –" She broke off and swore softly upon catching her first glimpse of the large man who had followed her mother out.

"Kristine Victoria – Ah taught you better than to use words like that!" Carolyn scolded, but Kris ignored her in favor of walking slowly up to face the man who had to be her father.

They seemed to stare at each other, each unsure of what to do with the other.

"She looks more like him than I first thought." Logan commented, watching the two. "What's a matter, Vic?" He drawled. "Afraid of a sixteen year old? I'd say she ain't gonna bite you, but she_ has_ been known…"

"Hey!" Kris said, breaking out of whatever trance she'd been in, turning to face her uncle. "Shut up! That was _one time, _and Gabby deserved it."

Victor slowly tore his eyes away from his daughter to look at his brother. Logan was leaning against Marie's truck, hands in his pockets, looking calm enough at first glance. Victor could tell he was tensed, though, instinctively readying for a fight.

Then he realized what his brother had just called him, so casually, and he smirked.

"Welcome back, Jimmy."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Did you just admit to biting someone?" Carolyn spoke up belatedly, staring blankly at her daughter, who blushed a bit and rubbed the back of her neck.

Victor chuckled.

"She really is mine."

"Oh, there ain't a question." Logan replied. "Look, I gotta get back, I promised Marie we'd be out of here by tonight."

"Ah'm not leavin Victor again." Carolyn spoke up.

"You're safer at the mansion." Logan pointed out.

"She'd be safe with me, I ain't letting her go again." Victor said, his tone challenging Logan to suggest otherwise again.

"Hey, what about me!" Kris spoke up, not liking the idea of being away from the only family she had.

"You're definitely going back." Her mother said. "Ah'm sorry, but that's the easiest way to keep yah in school."

"She should be with her family." Logan pointed out.

"Hey, Ah…" Kris spoke up but her mother cut her off.

"It wasn't a _suggestion_, Kristine, Ah'm your Mama…"

"Hey!" Victor snapped, and all eyes trained on him. He turned his on Kris. "You tell me. What about you?"

Her eyes lit up as she realized he was making it her choice.

"Ah don't want to go back to the stupid mansion. Everybody hates me there anyways."

"Then what're you fighting over?" He looked down at his mate, who didn't look particularly happy. "You got something against me getting to know our daughter?"

"We'll have to find her another school, then. Ah am not lettin that go."

"Why don't you homeschool her or something, we both know your smart enough."

"Because she needs _friends_, other people her age. She needs _normal._"

"Normal? What the hell are you talking about, Rosie, about to run off with me again and thinking to get normal."

"It's not like Ah _chose _to fall in love with you, you came waltzin into my life, remember? Ah was only 19!"

"And you loved every dirty minute of it." He responded with something akin to a purr in his voice, leaning down to ravish her lips. She responded with a rather girly, but unladylike, squeal, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Logan moseyed up next to Kris.

"He'd eat anyone else alive if they talked to him like that woman does. _That _is what you're about to go home with, kid."

Kris scrunched up her nose, then shrugged.

"Well, Ah've always wanted a baby sister."

Logan choked back a laugh at that.

"You sure about this? He's nothin like the dad you've known."

She turned to him.

"Ah know. Ah'm absolutely sure."

He nodded.

"Alright." He said. "I'm outta here then."

"Love you, Uncle Logan." She said.

He placed a kiss on her forehead, the only response he'd give her, before heading back towards his truck.

* * *

"Marie?" Logan had gone straight up stairs upon returning to the mansion, thinking that was where his mate would be, hiding out in their room until he got back.

Except, she wasn't.

He headed back down for Ororo's office. He had a feeling…

He wasn't surprised to hear her growling at Ororo, probably ready to gut her just like she'd said she wanted to.

He _was _surprised to see Bobby, Remy, and Chase all trying to hold her back. Trying being the operative word.

He was also rather impressed.

He didn't say a word, just crowded the doorway and watched.

"Logan?" Ororo called out, apparently having seen him from her position behind her desk, her back pressed against the windowed wall. "Your wife's lost her mind!"

"My mate's had enough of you, and I don't blame her."

"Y-you wouldn't let her hurt me..."

"Like Ah need his permission for anythin." Rogue growled. Logan wasn't surprised to see her bone claws slide out. Bobby, on the other hand, was, and could still vividly remember be threatened with them. He backed away from her with wide eyes.

It was kind of all downhill from there. Remy got scratched with said claws, and decided few things were worth getting mauled by a woman, so he gave up.

That left Chase, who was not a particularly big or athletic man himself, so he just got out of her way. They all joined Logan by the doorway and just watched.

It was all a bit of a blur as the two woman fought; neither of them were the type to slap or pull hair.

They were both grown, fully combat trained, actually pretty dangerous women.

Rogue, as it happened, had Logan's strength to go on, though.

It ended with Ororo against a wall, three deep gashes going down one cheek, as well as several across her forearms. Rogue, of course, other than having her hair a mess and her clothes torn in a few places, was just fine.

"That… is one hell of a woman you got, Logan." Bobby said.

"At least 'Ro'll have the scars to talk about." Logan commented with a snort.

Marie paused to look back at them.

"What do you think, boys, has she had enough."

Logan held up both hands, refusing to comment. Chase rubbed the back of his neck, eyebrows raised.

Remy said he'd miss 'Stormy', then slipped out of the room to find his wife, knowing she'd want to hear about all this.

"She's not actually going to…" Bobby muttered to Logan, who smirked.

Rogue turned back to Ororo and held her claws up to the older woman's neck.

Ororo just stared at her, eyes wide and frightened.

The claws slid back in; she let Ororo go and turned as if to leave, smirking when the older woman let out a breath as if relieved.

Then she spun back around, brought up a fist, and punched her square on the nose.

The Weather Witch collapsed at that, presumably unconscious.

Rogue turned back around, shaking her hand out a bit, hip cocked to the side, eyes trained on Logan.

"Can we leave _now_? Ah'm starvin, and a big steak sounds sooo good."

They all just stared at her.

Marie and Logan were gone within half an hour, and that was the last most at the mansion would hear of them for a very long time.


	18. Just Me 'n You

"It's not like it was much of a fight."

"It was enough of one, she certainly looked the worse for wear. Bet you're proud of yourself."

She only smiled.

"Look, one quick stop, just long enough to get you checked out."

"Ah'm fine, ok, she wasn't _aiming_ for my stomach, she's not that cruel. Besides, Ah think Ah'd know if somethin was wrong."

"And you don't feel anything wrong?"

"Logan, the only thing Ah feel right now is hungry and a little annoyed."

Silence reigned for a long moment as Logan pulled in to a greasy little restaurant in the hopes of getting Marie the big steak she'd wanted.

"It really couldn't hurt…"

"Logan!"

* * *

Marie sat on the medical bed, shoulders slumped, arms crossed, glaring at the wall as they waited.

"Ah still say this isn't necessary."

"You are the most stubborn…"

"_You're _callin _me _stubborn?"

"You picked a fight while pregnant, that tops _anything _I've ever done, I'll lecture you all I want."

"Only cause you're not a woman."

"If I were, what would that make you?" Logan smirked.

"Not pregnant right now, for one thing, and probably a lot less stressed." She snapped back, half playful now.

"Now I got that image in my head… you and another chick. Sexy. Very sexy." He paused when she quirked an eyebrow. "Don't kill me."

"Ah can't blame you. Ah'd probably be having just as much fun with her as you'd have while watching."

She said it so natural like, so flippantly, it took him a moment to process that, but the wide eyed expression he got on his face was priceless. Marie burst into hysterical laughter.

* * *

"It's so beautiful out here." Marie commented, staring out the window of the cabin they'd gotten. A few weeks of wandering a bit and they had finally settled down somewhere in the middle of Canada, a few miles (about a thirty minute drive) outside of a sweet little town.

The cabin wasn't very big, but it was big enough, and it had a nice big porch, and some old furniture that had been left by its previous owners. They couldn't have asked for more. It even had the fireplace Marie had wanted.

"Yeah, it is. Peaceful. Perfect." He came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist so his hands rested on her stomach. "Finally, it's just us."

"And the babies!"

"That's what I _meant, _Darlin."

* * *

She felt more at home here than she had even with her parents, when they were still a family back in Mississippi.

Standing on the porch, leaning against one of the wooden beams, wrapped comfortably in one of his flannel shirts. Watching in fascination as Logan actually played with the crazy dog they'd picked up on the side of the road coming home two weeks ago.

Well, not just a dog, Logan was under the distinct impression that the animal was part wolf. For some reason, she agreed with him. How they could tell this for certain like they had, she had no idea.

He was working as a mechanic in town, and doing well, unsurprisingly. Two months and he already had people asking for him specifically when they came in.

She was a waitress. Logan didn't like it, told her she was too smart for that, but there weren't too many other options for her. She didn't mind. It'd do for now.

She placed a hand on her six months pregnant belly, laughed at her mate and the hyper wolf-dog, and came to the conclusion that life, for once, was good.

* * *

"Logan. Look." Marie breathed, pointing at the ultrasound screen. "That's our babies. Two more months, and you'll be holding them in your arms, you know."

He stared at the screen as Doctor Fox mumbled on a bit, talking about the babies' heart rates and things, and assuring Marie that everything was going perfectly well. He stared, and felt his stomach tie itself in a knot as reality chose that moment to hit him hard.

He was about to be a father. Times two.

* * *

Logan and Marie had both been nervous about the hospital. They couldn't be certain of this towns stance on mutants, but they had both grown used to assuming they wouldn't be too well accepted. Having to deal with doctors and tests at the hospital came with the risk of being discovered.

But it was unavoidable, so they were just very careful with what they told Dr. Fox about Marie, refusing any kind of blood tests or anything of the like.

And everyone at the hospital remained pretty friendly, so they allowed themselves the luxury of thinking all would be well.

Which is why they were left quite speechless when Dr. Fox, who would be delivering Marie's baby, waltzed in the way she did one day. She shut the door to the checkup room, stood before them both with arms crossed and a determined expression on her face.

"Alright, you two, here's the deal. I can only be so helpful if you don't tell me _everything _there is to know medically. _Everything." _

They just stared at her blankly, expressions almost deer-in-headlights like.

She sighed.

"Alright, I'll be blunt. I have no problem with mutants. None whatsoever. And the only person who sees your files here is me. To top that off, we're not working with computers yet – your files are on _paper_ and remain locked in my cabinets. So please, I'm asking you to let me do my job right. What do I need to know?"

Marie turned to Logan, who eyed the doctor suspiciously, but there was absolutely nothing to indicate she was lying. If nothing else, they'd be able to smell the slightest bit of nervousness on her if she was.

So, with little choice and much to Logan's displeasure, Marie told her everything.

Dr. Fox listened with professional interest – she appeared fascinated by what Marie told her.

"Well. As long as there's no chance of your skin turning back on without you willing it to…"

"Ah've had that down for long enough now." Marie assured her quickly.

"Alright. The only other problem is this – this healing ability you told me about. Can you turn that off too?"

"Ah wish sometimes, but no. The only way for my body to cope with that ability was to either not use it, or make it permanent." Here Marie glanced at Logan. "Ah chose the latter, obviously."

"Well, that presents a problem. What we normally give to help the pain when you give birth won't work on you with a metabolism like that."

Marie was silent for a moment, and Logan swore softly. Neither had even thought of that.

"Can we have a minute?" Logan grumbled at Dr. Fox.

"Of course." Dr. Fox replied, slipping out of the room.

"You never told me you had a _choice_." He said as soon as the door was closed again, gazing intensely at Marie.

"It wasn't really much of a choice, Sugah."

"What do you mean it wasn't – do you even understand – Marie, I've got memories dating back over a hundred years – Jesus, do you even know –" He swore again, and she only smiled at him.

"Ah'll have you, just like you got me now. The only thing Ah _chose _was you, Logan."

He was left utterly speechless – a pretty uncommon occurrence in all actuality – and she chuckled before placing a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

"Logan." She was so calm, so matter of fact. "Logan, it's time."

He watched as her hand flew up to her stomach and she winced.

"Logan, Ah mean it this time. They're comin. Our babies are really comin."

All day she'd been having these pains. They'd assumed they were those stupid fake contractions again, that it was no big deal. Leave it to Marie to make it a full nine months with twins when that was supposed to be so rare, anyways.

Because she just had to _not _be normal.

Not too bright on their part, ignoring the signs; she was about ready to pop. Now they were a little pressed for time.

And there she was, waddling across the room with the bag they'd packed, calm as ever.

He took the bag, led her out to the truck with a hand on her back and one holding her arm, helped her heft herself in. Tried to squelch the feelings of panic that over took him, tried to ignore the way every nerve in his body was suddenly a live wire.

He was going to be a father. He was going to be a _father_.

They made it into town in record time. Once inside the hospital, she was immediately taken by wheel chair back to a room.

Then it was a little while of waiting with Marie hooked up to different monitors and breathing deeply through contraction after contraction.

Not too long and she was being wheeled briskly to maternity, Logan refusing to leave her side for even half a minute. Marie still keeping calm, telling him to chill out.

And then it really started, and Dr. Fox was saying 'I need you to push, now' and Marie screamed, holding his hand in a death grip.

He didn't say anything, didn't know what to do with himself, and hoped that his presence would be enough for her.

And then came the sound of that first little cry, and time seemed to slow for a moment as he laid eyes on a tiny, pink little baby that the nurses quickly declared to be a boy.

A boy. A son. He had a son.

The second time Marie's screams took to sounding almost more animal than human, and it nearly killed him to hear her in such pain.

And then there it was, the second little cry, another tiny pink skinned baby. A girl.

A daughter.

Marie collapsed back against the bed, breathing heavily, pale and sweating, but grinning.

"Yah heah that Sugah." She said, voice raspy, accent syrupy thick in her exhaustion. "Ah's hopin we'd have a girl."

He brushed away a few strands of hair that had been sticking to her forehead before placing a kiss on it.

"Yeah, Darlin." He replied gently, smiling. "A boy and a girl. Perfect."

The only thing that topped the moment when he first heard their cries, was when he got to hold them for the first time.

The nurse handed their daughter off to him. He was sitting in a chair next to Marie by now; she was holding their son. The babies were tiny, and looked even tinier in his huge arms Marie pointed out.

She had a point. He was nervous holding the little one in his arms, afraid he'd hurt her.

She stared up at him with two big blue eyes, and he had a feeling – a strange but wonderful feeling – that she was really going to be her Daddy's girl.

"What are you going to name them?" Dr. Fox asked quietly.

"Abigail." Marie replied – they had agreed on a girl's name. "Abigail Andrea Howlette."

"Beautiful." Dr. Fox responded. "And this little one?" She asked, nodding at Marie.

Marie looked down at the boy in her arms and she and Logan spoke at the same time.

"James." This from Logan.

"Logan." This from Marie.

They paused to stare at each other. They had talked about this, but couldn't quite decide on a boy's name.

A thought struck Logan, and he chuckled.

Marie seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she giggled a little, looking down at their son again.

"Welcome to the world, James Logan Howlette."

* * *

There were three bedrooms in the cabin, none of them very big, but they hadn't really been too worried about that.

Then there was one other room, also not very big, but not a broom closet either. The way it had been decorated suggested it had once been some ones office of sorts. Logan had kept her out of this room for the last two months of her pregnancy, shutting himself up there for two or three hours a day.

She'd spend these few hours doing something else, going to the store or working on things for her students, and towards the end just sleeping (because she'd been just as tired all the time as she was hungry all the time by then). She hadn't asked, deciding she didn't mind surprises.

The day they returned home with the twins and got settled back in, he lead her back through the house, him cradling little Abigail, her James.

He stopped in front of the rooms door, told Marie to close her eyes. She rose an eyebrow, but complied. Then came the sound of the door opening. Then he told her to take a few steps forward, and then open her eyes.

She did.

And soon felt a tear slide down her cheek.

He'd turned it into a nursery. Not too much blue, not too much pink, because they hadn't wanted to know the sex of the babies beforehand, but lots of bright, neutral colors. Teddy bear wallpaper lined the walls. Two wooden cribs sat in the middle of the room, both fixed with cream colored sheets and colorful little blankets covered in pictures of cute little cartoon animals.

Marie turned to Logan, another tear spilling over.

"Oh, Logan, how did you… I mean, where did you… It's wonderful!"

He easily kept Abigail cradled in one large arm while freeing the other to rub the back of his neck.

"Well, I had some help of course, knew zip about babies on my own. Jubilee and Remy were pretty good for advice on that."

She turned to look back around and grinned, because she was just so happy in that moment that she couldn't help it.

"Logan… I love you." She said finally, before crossing the room to gently, so gently, place the sleeping James into one of the cribs. He squirmed a bit, opened his mouth in the most adorable little yawn, then snuggled back into the blankets he was wrapped in and continued sleeping. Logan followed suit with Abigail, who went through a similar routine.

Marie took one last look around at all the toys, the neat little boxes to put some of them away in. The pretty little wooden rocking horse – where had he even gotten that?

Another tear fell. Feeling overwhelmed suddenly, she darted out of the room and headed out the back of the house to stand on the porch, pausing to take a deep breath.

Perfect. Everything was just too perfect.

Logan came up behind her after a moment, wrapping his arms around her.

"I know what you're thinking." He said quietly. "Same thing I've been thinking ever since you married me."

"It won't last." She replied quietly. "It never lasts. Something always goes wrong."

"We can't keep thinking like that."

"Ah don't know what Ah'd do if something happened to them."

"I won't ever let anything happen to them. Listen to me," he gently turned her face so she was looking up at him, "anything ever happens to you or those babies, it'll be over my dead body."

She stared up into his hazel eyes for a moment before turning away again.

"But there's so many damned 'what ifs'. How do we – what do we do?"

He paused before leaning down to nuzzle her neck, then rest his chin on her shoulder.

"We take things one day at a time, Darlin. One day at a time."

* * *

_**And I do believe that is the official end of **_**Act Like A Boy**_**. Don't worry, a sequel is already in the works, and I'm planning to actually call it **_**One Day at a Time. **_**It'll focus on Marie a lot, like this one, but I'm also going to switch to Kris and her mother as well. I spent so much time trying to make a real character out of Kris I don't want to just forget about her.**_

_**Anyways, thanks for reading this fic so faithfully, I never would've gotten this far with it if I hadn't kept getting reviews and all that good stuff. After all, this was originally supposed to be a silly little three-shot. :D **_


	19. SEQUEL

Just letting you all know that the sequel is up. It's called _One Day At A Time, _and I actually put a lot of work into the first chapter, which is why it took me some time to post it.

Can't wait to start hearing what you think. :)


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